Left Standing
by ChaisMarie
Summary: What if the events of the Vulturi's attack had ended differently and Jacob had to run with Nessie? Can he be the guardian this innocent soul needs?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: For my existing readers: All chapters will be replaced because of slight editing to the content. I change some details that were mentioned in my reviews to make the story flow better. Two new chapter will be added after Chapters 1-9 are replaced so please be patient with me. There wasn't much changed only minor details so the choice to re-read is a personal one. Please read the new ones and review! :) For new readers: Please enjoy my take on Breaking Dawn and let me know what you think!**

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns the characters and all things twilight... I'm only using them for my entertainment.**

Chapter 1

The Hardest thing I'll ever do

"Jacob, take our daughter and run." Bella's words were a strangled sigh. I didn't understand what she was telling me to do.

I looked at her with confusion in my eyes as she leaned against my muzzle and whispered; "If things get out of hand I want you to take her. Take her and run Jacob. Save my soul, please…" The please was almost too faint to hear.

She rested her forehead against her baby daughter's and whispered, "Mommy and Daddy and all of us love you with all we have sweet girl, please remember that." She kissed her daughters nose as tears poured down Ness' face.

Edward heard what his wife was saying and turned to look at me with knowing eyes. Bella had kept her secret of an escape for their daughter from him. The one named Aro would have caught on right away if Edward knew; if anyone knew. This had been the secret she had been keeping from us all. He knew why she had kept him in the dark and in the moment our eyes met; I knew he was giving me his permission. I silently promised him what he already knew; I would be devoted to her happiness and keep her safe, forever. He gave me a sad smile and nodded as Bella slowly walked toward him with Ness in her arms and I watched as they said their silent goodbye.

Seconds later Bella was hoisting the toddler onto my back. She kissed my cheek as a tear slid from my eye and down into her hair. "I love you Jacob Black, you will always be my sun."

Even though I knew I would do whatever I had to do to save the miracle we were all protecting; it broke my heart to know that Ness may have kissed her parents for the last time today. I whimpered and looked into her bronze eyes conveying all the love I had for her. "I know you do." She said quietly. "Everything you will need is in her backpack." I nodded and slowly backed up until Ness and I were at the edge of the woods.

All I could do now was wait and watch. The fight wouldn't get that far I told myself as I waited anxiously in the shadows to see if Bella's plan for me to run away with her daughter would be necessary. Ness held on tightly to my coat, slightly shaking from fear I'd assume. It hurt to think of how scared she must be. I knew she understood very well what her parents had requested.

Things were quiet and civil one minute and then a member of the Vulturi murdered the Vampire woman who had told them of an immortal child. In a split second one of our allies went crazy. She was clawing and fighting her way to the murderer of her sister. I didn't know any of their names, but I knew they were on our side.

This sent things into a frenzy and Bella couldn't hold her shield because of the stupid Vamp chick causing a scene. I knew she had lost someone she loved, but for me it was about Ness and this single chain of events turned the meeting in the meadow into a blood bath.

The rest of my pack charged as our vampires collapsed to the ground. Under Jane's powers I'm guessing. The wolves were the first to be slaughtered. I watched as my faithful Beta was grasped around her chest and shattered. Seth tried to save his sister and was ripped apart without hesitation. One by one my pack was destroyed. I naively thought Carlisle could heal them all and we would all be ok. I couldn't have been more wrong. The Vulturi had brought more backup than we'd thought capable. Enemy vampires poured from the forest and one by one picked away at our army. I watched in horror as all of the ones I loved, wolves and vampires, were being slaughtered. The Cullen's and the pack had gotten very close since we found out about the threat against Renesmee and they were my family now too. I couldn't step in to help because I had to keep my promise to Ness and to Edward and Bella.

Renesmee was whimpering and pulling at the fur on the nape of my neck. I couldn't comfort her. Hell, I didn't know how to. Her family was dying right in front of her. I turned my attention to Edward and his head was in the hands of one of the black cloaked leeches. Oh God no, I thought. Please don't let this be happening. We met eyes and in his last moment he mouthed the word that changed my entire world. "Run".

I tried desperately to find Bella in this chaos. I wanted a goodbye of any kind. I wasn't at all ready to let her go, but the little tug on my fur reminded me of what my purpose here was. Naked bodies lay bloody all over the meadow; human bodies of what once were majestic protectors. They had given their life for my imprint. For me. I didn't have time to find Bella I had to run. If any of the Vulturi caught on to our plan Ness would die and this would all be in vein.

"I love you, Bella" was the last thought I had before my paws forced dirt to fly in tendrils around me. I never thought, never stopped, just ran. I ran with everything I had inside of me. I was always aware of Renesme's tiny hands holding steady to my fur. She was safe and I wouldn't stop running until I knew none of them were in our wake. I ran until my paws bled and my muscles spasmed. I couldn't breathe; I had to stop.

My body collapsed from fear, pain, and pure exhaustion. Ness slid down slowly and sat on the wet leaves beside my head. When I saw her precious face my world fell to pieces.

Her chocolate brown eyes were swollen and her hands were bleeding from grasping my fur so hard. Her tiny legs were beaten and bruised from the brush scraping them. Her once beautiful bronze curls were a matted mess covered in dirt and leaves. I was about to phase back to comfort her and realized that I'd lost the clothing attached to my ankle. Shit, I can't stay like this forever, I thought. Tears were still streaming down her dirty cheeks and her shoes had fallen off with the force of the run. My heart broke for this beautiful little girl who was now my responsibility.

I phased back to my human form and picked her up into my arms. I held her tightly to my chest and just rocked her while she sobbed. She didn't stop for hours. We sat there like that, tattered and broken for what seemed like an eternity. She finally fell asleep and I maneuvered to get her bag off of her back. Bella said everything we would need would be in there. I definitely could not take care of a child with what I had on hand. She squirmed a little while I cradled her in the crook of one arm and her legs dangled over my wrist.

She was so tiny compared to me. I realized in that moment how scared shitless I was; I had no idea how to be a parent. I finally unwound her backpack and fidgeted one handed to get the zipper opened. I smiled thinking of Bella in that moment when I saw a pair of jeans and a t shirt, and flip flops. I don't see how she fit all of that in there but she was my savior.

I would have been taken straight to jail if I was caught in my current state with a child that looked beaten. I couldn't tell what else was in there because my clothes took up too much of the cramped space. I needed a shower and Ness needed a bath. We were both bloody and filthy; I decided a little law breaking may be in order just for us to pass off as normal.

I layed Ness down on a bed of moss and put on my jeans, this would do until I could get that shower I longed for.

I walked with her sleeping in my arms until I saw a cheap motel off of an old forgotten highway. Perfect. I can break in and get us looking presentable. The police would definitely be called if I attempted to get this room the legal way. I didn't have a penny to my name anyway, so it was pointless. I was so terrified that I would let her and her family down. I had nothing to offer her. Not a single thing!

I barely had to try and we were inside the drab room. One twin bed sat in the middle of the room along with a desk and a lamp. No TV, no alarm clock, not even a bathroom door. There was a stained curtain that separated the sleeping area from the bathing area. Wow, Ness deserved so much better than this, but for now it was our only option. I put her down gently on the bed and decided to finish sorting through the contents of her backpack.

Bella had planned this very well. Tears threatened to spill over my lids as I saw the contents of what she had prepared for us all on her own. She was nowhere near weak or fragile. For a mother to do what Bella did was amazing. There were fake ID's for Ness and I along with adoption papers to go along with our new alias'. There was a set of plane tickets to every country imaginable and a key with strict instructions on how to find where it belonged. The engraving on it looked like it may be to a safety deposit box. There was an envelope with more cash than I've ever seen in my life. If I could guess it was roughly ten grand.

I slowly put all the contents back into the bag and noticed the front compartment bulging a bit. I undid the zipper and sobbed uncontrollably as I saw what it held. The tattered leather binding was all I needed to see to know that Bella had passed down her favorite book, Wuthering Heights, to her daughter. Bella had read that damned book so many times I thought she should've had each line memorized. I laughed at the thought of what I used to take for granted. God, I missed her already. This is going to be one hell of a journey I thought to myself. I lay the book down beside me on the ratty comforter and reached for the next item. It was a homemade CD with the words Ness' Lullaby. If I knew Edward he had composed it himself. That had to be Bella's doings since he had no clue what his wife had planned today.

I had a new found love for Edward as well. Hell, he gave me his permission to take his daughter and raise and nurture her. I looked into the man's eyes during his last seconds of life. Tears spilled over this time. For all of the hurt that this sweet child would face when she awoke. Her world was torn, no ripped apart and I was all she got out of the bargain. Would I be enough? I looked over at her sleeping form and brushed a stray curl from her flushed cheek and whispered,

"I will always try to be enough my angel."

The compartment also held three envelopes; Two with Ness' name on them and one with mine. I was in a fragile state as it was, so I decided to leave that envelope sealed until morning. I took a cold shower; it was an attempt at cooling off my temperature. I loved the cold water against my burning skin. I showered quickly because I didn't want Ness to be alone when she woke up. I didn't know what to expect. I was terrified of how she would react when it all came crashing back to her.

I put my jeans back on and went to check on Ness. She was still sleeping and I couldn't bring myself to wake her up. She had just experienced the most traumatic experience of her young life and she needed the rest. I curled up beside her on the bed and let myself dose off into a deep but fretful sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Or so I Thought…

Blackness and blood consumed me; I couldn't breathe. I tried to run, but my feet were planted firmly to the pool of blood I was standing in.

Porcelain chunks of skin lay in a tangled mess on the ground below. I know I'm dreaming, just wake up Jake; I told myself. That didn't help at all; it only made me panic more.

I knew this was a dream, but it felt so real. I could feel the pain and agony in the depths of my soul. I was suffocating; pulling at my throat to try and breathe as the stench of death consumed me.

I caught a small figure in the distance and squinted my eyes to make out what I was seeing. It was a tiny child. Maybe 3 years old; she had glossy bronze ringlets that reached the middle of her back and blood dripping from every pore in her little body…oh God…Renesmee…..

I woke up in a cold sweat to find a fragile hand rested on my cheek and it hit me; it was her dream; not mine.

I fell into a fit of sobs wondering why such a young mind had to be plagued with such horrid nightmares. Her face was blood red and her curls were stuck to her forehead with sweat. I didn't realize how long we'd slept until nightfall was already upon us. It had to have been two days since we had ran for our lives.

Oh no! I hadn't fed this child in two fucking days! What the hell is wrong with me! I can't do this, I thought. I can't even fucking feed her; much less help her through her heartache and pain. What choice did I have though? I was all she had left in this entire universe. I couldn't, no, I wouldn't let her down.

I shook her lightly deciding that she needed a bath and something to eat. She had seen enough bloodshed; we would eat human food for an indefinite amount of time. She slowly stirred and mumbled "Daddy" in her sleep. I broke down again. Shit! Black! Get a fucking hold of yourself. SHE is the child here and needs you to be the adult.

I decided right then and there that no matter what I WOULD be strong for her. I shook her lightly again and she sat straight up, looking at nothing in particular as a blood curdling scream escaped her lips. It was like she was watching a horror movie that no one else could see. Tears flooded her red cheeks and she was gasping for breath.

I instinctively pulled her into my arms and rocked her firmly, but steadily. The screaming subsided, but the tears didn't, they poured from her eyes like a waterfall as she continued to gasp for air. I didn't know what to do. I was so terrified and inexperienced at being a caretaker that it scared the daylights out of me. This was my Ness though and I could do this.

I pulled her away from my grasped and looked into her glossy eyes. "Renesmee, I'm so sorry angel, but I'm here. I will never, ever leave you. I swear." I pushed her wet, matted curls from her face and kissed her forehead. My lips lingered there as I continued to rock her.

Eventually after about half an hour she stopped crying and leaned back to look at me. She didn't smile, her face was tortured and sad, but she brought both of her tiny hands up to cup my cheeks and a wave of love was sent crashing through me.

She was telling me thank you for helping her calm down. "You're welcome; now let's get you in the tub." I said with a pinch of her cheek. "You smell like a dog." She got my joke and smiled with a little of the light back in her eyes.

After her bath, I was at a complete loss. Her curly hair had always been done to perfection by Alice…_Alice….._She and Jasper had not been there! They had never returned from whatever mission they were on. Shit! Alice couldn't see Ness because she was with me! I may never find her_!_

What if she returned after I left with Ness and was killed too? I may never know, but the hope that Bella, Alice and Jasper may still be alive gave me a glimmer of hope. I never actually saw Bella die. I just ran; I couldn't feel guilty for that because it was what Edward had told me to do. I knew if I'd stayed any longer Ness may not have survived either. I would turn this world upside down to see if any of them survived, but right now My Angel needed me and that's what I would worry about.

I looked at the matted mess of curls atop her head and just sighed. "Angel, I'm not good at doing hair, we're just going to brush it and see what happens. Sound good to you?" she smiled. "Ok, then let's go get something to eat." She cringed and horror filled her eyes. Oh, no Jacob! Watch what the hell you say, you moron! I tried to recover before she had another full blown panic attack. "Pizza sound good?" I asked her.

Her features lightened instantly, and with a small smile she nodded. I packed what little we had and walked to the front desk of the motel pretending, of course, to just be passing through.

The clerk told me there would be nothing for about ten miles and offered to call us a taxi since he thought we had gotten off at the wrong bus stop. I agreed and thanked him as we stepped outside to wait for our driver.

Ness showed me that she didn't feel like walking. I knew her poor legs were sore from the run and she always got her way with me anyway. I carried her on my hip to the bench in front of the bus stop and we waited

. Twenty silent minutes later an ugly blue taxi pulled up and I directed him to take us the nearest town. I still had no clue which state we were even in. I didn't dare ask and look like an idiot so I just waited to see if I could catch hints from the scarce road signs. Finally, a sign came into view: Shiloh, South Carolina, Population 259. Well considering I'm from an even smaller area than that; the population didn't startle me. It was the fact that we'd ran for two days straight with no stopping and ended up on the opposite side of the country. I must have been moving like a mad man to make it that far. My fear is what pushed me; fear of losing the precious little girl sitting next me.

After we ate we would track down where the key Bella left belonged before making any further travel plans. Ness ate half of a pizza herself. I was in utter shock, but seeing as how I had literally starved her and she wasn't quite your average toddler; I let it go. I ate three pizza's myself before paying and heading out on our treasure hunt.

Bella had made sure that whatever I would be in search of was in the U.S. so that I would know to find it before we made travel plans. The place we were to go was Chicago, Illinois. Ness and I picked out our new identities and headed for the nearest airport, bought tickets and were sitting comfortably in our first class seats; relaxing for the first time in what seemed like forever. We both eventually drifted to sleep, but she never let go of my index finger, holding it tightly in her tiny hand.

The flight was over before I knew it; I guess we had slept most of it. The airport here was huge; I even felt small in comparison and that's saying a lot. Ness still would not walk and I didn't push her. She hadn't actually spoken a word other than the ramblings in her sleep since that day. I wouldn't push her on that topic either. She needed time to absorb everything and I didn't want her to stop communicating with me all together. So, I let it go.

We dodged our way through hundreds of people to a female clerk sitting behind a tall desk with several rows of computers; with someone managing each one. She had curly blonde hair that reached past her shoulders.

As we approached her, Ness touched my cheek and a picture of Rosalie came into my mind. Rose had Ness in her arms and was smiling as she twirled the toddler in circles while Ness giggled. I looked down at her little face and a single tear rested at the corner of her eye. I wiped it away secretly, so no one would wonder why this child was so different from the others' around us. These kids were unruly. I had to give them credit though, because Ness couldn't be compared to them at all.

"She does look like Rose, doesn't she?" I whispered so only Ness could hear.

She nodded with sadness filling her eyes. I kissed her forehead and rested my cheek against the top of her head.

"Ness, I know this hurts angel. Let's think about that treasure hunt we're going on instead, ok?"

She nodded once more and I continued in my stride to the clerk that had brought on Ness' memory.

"How may I help you sir?" she asked politely

"Well we're new to the city and I had a few questions if you have time."

"Well that depends on the questions." She said with a smile.

"I was wondering if I should rent a car or just use a taxi service while here." I asked light heartedly.

"Well sir, with such a small child I would suggest you rent a car, so her child seat won't have to be lugged in and out of different taxi cabs. I can set you up with a rental here and a driver will bring you the car."

I hadn't even bought her a car seat. She had sat in one of the spares on the plane. Ok, I had a mental checklist going now.

"I didn't bring her seat with us and one was provided on the plane. " I told her embarrassed.

"I'm sure the rental company can help you with that, though an extra charge may be added."

"Ok, thank you. I don't mind paying extra, so please ask them if one can be provided."

We got everything in order. I got the cheapest car I could get. The driver had agreed to stop and buy a car seat for us. It would cost me an extra two hundred bucks, but I couldn't leave the airport without one, so I agreed. I couldn't stand the thought of actually enjoying the money Bella had left for me. I would get Ness anything she wanted, but I would stick to my simple way of living. I don't even remember what car it was that I'd rented. Things still seemed to be happening in a blur, like I was an outsider looking in.

Ness and I waited in the seating area closest to the clerk's desk we had just been at. She told us to wait there and the driver would bring me the keys. With the driver having to stop and purchase a car seat, it would take longer to get the car. Ness and I just silently waited. An hour and a half later a man walks into the airport's automatic glass doors holding a huge sign with bold letters saying the name: **WOLFE**. It took me a second to realize that was the alias I had chosen for the time being. I jumped up quickly and walked over to where he stood.

"Hi, I'm Jacob Wolfe " I said with an unsteady voice. That name didn't sound right rolling off of my tongue. This would definitely take some getting used to. Ness' alias was Vanessa Wolfe; adopted daughter to widower Jacob. That was our story; at least for now.

"Ok then, here are the keys. I will guide you to where the car is parked."

"Thank you." I said, as I followed behind him.

He brought us to a small cube of a car and I instantly regretted my decision. I was never going to fit into this clown car. I laughed quietly as the man told me the agreements to the rental contract. I was to leave the car at the rental store or call someone when I no longer needed it.

I paid the man and added in an extra one hundred dollar tip for his effort. He had even unpacked the car seat and had disposed of the box. He smiled and walked away heading back to his daily activities, I suppose.

The car was a Ford Focus from what the lettering on the trunk said. Mental note: Always get an adult sized car.

A plain brown booster seat sat in the back. I opened the back door groaning as I tried to position myself into the tiny backseat. I was hitting the roof with my head and my legs were dangling out. I knew I looked like a complete idiot. I sat Ness inside of the seat and buckled her clumsily into the seat. She smiled as I fumbled with the straps.

"You think I'm funny huh?" I said with a laugh.

She nodded with a mischievous grin on her face.

"I'll show you funny missy!" I belted out as I tickled her ribs.

She laughed uncontrollably until she couldn't catch her breath.

Her laugh made my heart swell. This was the first time I'd heard that angelic noise in three days and I hoped that the healing would begin sooner rather than later.

I stopped and kissed her forehead before attempting to install myself into this matchbox. This was ridiculous! I was so mad, but at the same time my awkwardness had earned a laugh from Ness, so this was worth the struggle.

We drove off into the busy city of Chicago, with my legs nearly touching my chest, for the next step of our journey into the unknown.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The Next Step

We navigated the busy streets until we found the building Bella had instructed us to go to. It took nearly an hour to get there with the back to back traffic and my lack of knowledge of the huge city. We drove slowly past the front of the three story ancient brick edifice. It was indeed a bank, as I had originally thought. It was very unlike the rest of the buildings in the city. Intricate details were built within the walls and ivy of some sort covered the corners of the red brick and climbed to the roof. It was a beautiful change of scenery considering that most of the buildings in Chicago seemed modern and clean. This one felt more like home. It was centered in an old neighborhood and there was a park across the street. I made a mental note to take Ness to play before we left the country.

I made my way around the corner of the building and parked in the small lot to the side. Ness was asleep and lightly snoring. I felt bad for waking her, but I was ready to settle in somewhere and this was the last step before we could do that. I almost ripped the door off of the car pulling myself out of it and groaned loudly. This startled Ness awake and she shuffled, rubbing her tiny hands in circles around her eyes. Opening the back passenger door, I leaned in smiling.

"Good afternoon sleepy head."

She smiled, but said nothing.

I leaned into the backseat and started to unbuckle her from her booster seat. Her hair was a horrible mess. I felt bad because my brushing techniques did nothing for her beautiful bronze curls. I brushed through it with my fingers and made another mental note to buy hair supplies once we were settled. I had not thought of those things until a time came up that I may need them. We didn't even own toothbrushes. I had a lot of learning to do and it was overwhelming.

Pulling her out of the seat I kissed her cheek.

"Ready to go?"

She shook her head with a meek smile as we headed into the antique building.

I had memorized the number on the key, so I wouldn't look suspicious. I didn't even know if I needed the number or even what it meant, but I wanted to be as prepared as possible. Opening the old wooden doors I stepped inside. Slowly, I made my way over to the teller closest to me. Ness, in my arms of course, had her head lying on my shoulder. She wasn't in the mood for the cute remarks and the pinching of her cheeks, which had happened at every stop we'd made. She had such a beauty about her that random strangers felt the need to approach me with compliments. It was nice of them, but Ness didn't like it at all. She had shown me that she didn't like others touching her, so I did my best to be discrete wherever we went.

"Good afternoon sir, how may I help you and this pretty little one" the older lady said to me.

"Hi, I'm Jacob Wolfe and this is Vanessa. I have some things here I'd like to pick up."

"Sure, no problem at all. Would you like a piece of candy Vanessa?" She said with a smile.

Ness nodded against my shoulder and I smiled.

She reached below her desk and pulled out a lollipop. She tried handing it to Ness, but she just kept her head buried. I took the candy politely and handed it to Ness.

"Let's wait to eat this until we get finished here, ok angel." I said to Ness

She nodded and I turned back to the woman behind the counter.

"I'm sorry, she is very shy." I apologized.

"Oh, it's ok. She's adorable."

"Thank you"

"Ok sir; let me pull you up in our system." She said, changing the subject.

She searched through the database and had a questionable look on her face.

"I'm sorry sir; we don't have a Jacob Wolfe in our system. Could it be under another name?"

Great, I thought. This may be difficult. I thought of the number and decided I would just take my chances.

"It may be in my wife's name, but I know the number if that will help."

"Yes, certainly"

"The number is 3560 A" I told her with mentally crossed fingers.

She punched in the numbers on her keyboard and looked up smiling.

"I found it, for security reasons I have to ask you the security question though."

My heart fell. This may not end well

"Ok, sure." I said with hesitation.

"What is your favorite animal?"

I smiled because Bella knew I would know the answer to that and she basically gave me the answer with the names she chose for us.

"Wolf." I stated, without hesitation this time.

"Alright, Mr. Wolfe I will call Nathan to guide you to the vault."

I said a silent thank you to Bella as I waited for Nathan.

The gentlemen known only as Nathan, walked up to me a few minutes later.

He extended his hand to me and I accepted it in a firm handshake.

"Good afternoon, I'm Nathan Shore."

"Nice to meet you Mr. Shore. I'm Jacob and this is my daughter Vanessa."

I said the last part while brushing Ness' hair from her face.

He nodded and smiled

"Please follow me and I will take you to the vault."

I said nothing; but followed suit.

He led me to a door of metal bars and entered a code into the keypad on the wall to the right of it.

I heard the metal click and then he opened the creaking door and motioned for me to go in ahead of him.

We walked at a steady pace until we reached the room that held the safety deposit boxes. He guided me to my designated box and left me to my devices. I was glad because I had no idea what to expect when I opened that box. He told me to simply step out when I was done and he would be there waiting.

The room was small and square. It held thousands of tiny metal boxes with key holes and numbers on each one. I tried to stand Ness on the floor, but she held on tightly putting her hand to my cheek letting me know she was scared.

"Ok, Ness I will hold you, but when I open the box can you sit on the table and watch me?"

She nodded with a pout to her peach lips.

I held her on my left hip as I fumbled to get the key into the key hole. I finally managed to accomplish this and slid the box from its place in the wall.

I sat Ness on the rectangle metal table in the center of the room and started to go through the contents of the box. On top were stacks and stacks of papers. I suddenly remembered that I hadn't read the letter Bella had left for me in Ness' backpack. I still hadn't shown her the things her parents left her because she wasn't ready, but I needed to read that letter before we left incase important information was in it. Another item was added to my mental checklist.

As I removed the papers and set them aside to read later, I saw a pink leather photo book. On the cover; was a picture of Edward and Ness right after she was born. Bella had been incapacitated for a few days, so Ness didn't have pictures with her mother until she was a little bigger. Ness saw the picture and I heard a little sniffle. I turned to look at her.

"Ness, do you want us to look at it later?"

She placed her hand on my cheek as she'd done every day since the tragic events that brought us here.

"Ok, let's look then." I said with a smile, not quite reaching my eyes.

grabbing the album out of the box I pulled the metal chair out from under the table and sat down, pulling her into my lap.

She reached her hand up and touched the picture on the front and turned to touch my cheek.

The word "daddy" danced across my thoughts

I smiled and opened the cover. If this were a few days ago I would have broken down, but I had done enough of that and Ness was doing so well with this. I couldn't ruin this moment for her. I know the album had been Alice's doings, so there would be pictures of all of us; the wolf pack included.

Four pictures came into view and Ness touched each one of them and touched my face with each new picture.

Everyone was in these. I was thankful that Alice recognized the importance of the pack to Ness and to me. A picture of Seth was included in the album. He was holding Ness on his hip and she had her sweet little hands cupping his face. I could tell he was laughing, so I wondered what she had shown him. As if reading my thoughts, her hands came up to my face and I smiled as a single tear rolled down my cheek.

She was showing him that she bit me all the time, but that I was the only one she was allowed to bite, so he didn't need to worry.

I ran my fingers down her cheek with the outside of my knuckles and cupped her chin.

"Angel, you are being so strong. I'm sorry."

She then reached one hand to my face and wiped the tear off. It took every fiber of my being to hold it together in that moment because she was such a gift to the world. She smiled and reached to turn the page.

We finally made it to the end of the album and the last picture was one we hadn't been aware was taken. It was Bella, Ness and me. We were all three walking into the forest to hunt. I was of course in cut off jean shorts, but Bella and Ness were in matching white sundresses. Our backs were turned to the camera and Bella and I were on either side of Ness holding each of her hands in ours. She ran her fingers slowly over the picture and reached her hand to my cheek once again.

"I miss her too Angel. You know, she would be so very proud of what a big girl you have been through all of this."

A single tear escaped her eyes then and slowly trailed down her face, but she didn't break down. She smiled; the biggest smile I think I've ever seen on her face and it reached her eyes that were wet with moisture, but sparkling with the thought of her mommy being proud of her.

I smiled too as a tear threatened to spill over, but I managed to keep it from flowing.

I would do anything in this world to see that smile on her face every day for the rest of our lives.

"Ok Angel we have to finish looking through the box or Mr. Shore will think we got lost." I said fluffing her hair a bit.

I stood up and sat her back down on the table. There wasn't much left in the box, so we would be able to leave soon. I had taken more time than I had wanted to, but Ness wanted to look at the pictures and I couldn't say no. There was a velvet bag that held, if I remember correctly, Bella's wedding ring. I'm positive it's the ring I'd seen on her finger for the past few months. There was a small black address book in there as well with a note posted inside that said, "These people can help you if you ever need more ID's or birth certificates. The last item was a very expensive digital camera that had a note attached to it as well. It read, "Jacob, don't let her forget the happiness you two will find."

I smiled and was thankful that Bella and Alice had left me with so many resources to make Ness' life full of happiness. I gathered all the items and placed them in her backpack. I would read the letter from Bella and the pile of papers in the car before we left.

I stepped out of the door and as he'd said, Mr. Shore was waiting.

"Sorry it took so long, but we are ready now."

"No problem." He said as he guided me back to the main lobby of the bank.

I made my way to the exit and stepped out into the beautiful sunlight. We were definitely going to make it, I thought.

"Do you want to go play in the park for a while before we have to leave?"

She smiled and nodded

Making my way across the street with Ness in my arms, I knew we had accomplished a lot today and had warmth in my heart after seeing that beautiful smile dance across her lips earlier.

We would be ok, of that much I was sure.


	4. Chapter 4

A Sliver of Silver

We made our way across the somewhat busy street to the beautiful park. It was old, but very well kept. There was an older grey haired woman knelt down weeding one of the dozen flower beds arranged at each corner of the park's perimeters. There were several trees scattered in random areas that provided a shade to the sunlight. However, the play area was brightly lit and not in an area of shade. Each tree had ivy growing upward from the trunk to branches that sprouted leaves. Four elegant, antique benches were situated in a scattered circle around the play area.

Ness still had her head buried in my shoulder as we approached. I gently moved her cascading, frizzy curls from her face.

"You ready to play?"

She nodded. I smiled.

I put her down and reached to hold her little hand in mine. She walked, finally, slowly and somewhat hesitantly. Baby steps, I told myself.

"What do you want to do first?"

She pulled slightly on my hand and I knelt down on one knee in front of her. I knew she was going to show me because she hadn't uttered a word in almost 4 days.

She rested her hand on my cheek and an image of her swinging with me pushing her came into my mind.

"Ok Angel." I said with a smile. "Let's go swing."

I let her situate herself into the swing and walked behind her.

"Ok you better hold on tight!"

Her fists clenched the metal chains as my hand gently pushed her forward.

I did this for about ten minutes when I heard it.

She giggled, light and quick. If I didn't have keen canine ears; I may not have heard it. I laughed out loud and actually almost cried, but I held it together. I was becoming such cry baby lately!

"Want to go faster?"

She nodded.

I put a little more force into my pushes and watched her soar higher and higher.

After a few pushes she laughed out loud and didn't stop.

I, however, at the moment I heard that angelic laugh, stopped pushing her and ran around to face her.

I gently grabbed the chain, halting the swing and knelt down on one knee in front of her.

I had the biggest grin on my face, but Ness had that peachy pout to her lips.

I then picked her up and straddled her legs around my middle and started to swing her around in circles.

Her eyes lit up and we both laughed until I was sure we had tears of happiness in our eyes.

I twirled us in circles as I made my way across the grass, holding one of her hands in mine and the other wrapped around my neck. We danced like this until I was dizzy. We made our way to the bench closest to us and I sat down with her on my lap.

She was still laughing and so was I.

"Fun, Huh?"

She touched my face and Edward holding her came into view. He was doing the exact thing I had just been doing and she laughed hysterically as he swirled her faster and faster.

I rested my palm against the outside of her hand against my cheek.

"Daddy could twirl faster than me?" I said with a smile.

I knew she needed to have these memories and express them so she could work through her grief, so I tried to make it as light hearted as possible.

She nodded with a mischievous grin on her face.

"Wanna bet?" I asked, returning her look.

She nodded.

I knew I wasn't going to out stage her daddy, but I was going to make this adventure as fun for her as I could.

I stood up quickly and hoisted her onto my back.

"Hold on to my neck or you will bust it!"

She snaked her arms around my neck and squeezed lightly.

I started twirling again and heard her laughing behind me.

It was amazing to be genuinely having a good time for once.

I did this for a moment more before realizing we had a very long day ahead of us.

We would stay in a hotel tonight after our shopping trip. We would both be fully equipped for our new life by the time we got on the plane in the morning. I hadn't decided which of the tickets we would be using yet, but I had planned to research the areas a little.

"Alright, time to go." I said as I pulled her around to face me.

She pouted, but nodded her head.

I walked with her in my arms back across the street and to our toy car.

I situated myself into the backseat to buckle her in and realized just how much she had grown in only a few days.

She had already grown a few inches and the outfit Bella had packed for her was now too short. Luckily, the pants made it look as if they were meant to be that short. At this rate she would need new clothes every week. The ten thousand dollars left for us wouldn't last long, that's for damned sure.

I decided to stand by the car and go through the papers and read Bella's letter. I knew it would be a fete to move in the car.

"Angel, I have some things to look at then we will go shopping when I'm done."

She nodded and I mentally cringed at the thought of shopping with a little girl when I barely shopped for myself.

I grabbed her backpack and backed out of the car on my knees.

Ok, moment of truth. I had really put off reading this letter because I didn't know if I could face what it would say and not break down, but now Ness and I had been through so much in so little time that I feel I can handle reading it.

The envelope was ivory and had intriquete and slightly raised swirl designs on it. Typical Cullen, I thought with a smile. I slowly opened the envelope very careful not to rip it. For some reason I felt as if I needed to cherish this piece of paper. Inside was a neatly folded piece of lined notebook paper. Typical Bella, I thought and laughed quietly to myself. I pulled the paper out too slowly; I was still stalling and my hands were shaking. I lay the envelope back down on the trunk of the car and unfolded the paper, closing my eyes for a moment before beginning to read.

_Jacob,_

_ Reading this letter can only mean one thing. I am writing it as if you will have to read it, but praying that the envelope will never have to be opened. We never imagined the birth of our daughter would cause such a stir with the Vulturi, but it is what it is and I had to prepare for the worst. You know the plan by now and I know you have kept her safe. It breaks my heart to let her go and especially keeping it from Edward. Alice had a hand in this, you may know already, but I don't know where they are and I hope that one day you may be reunited with them._

_I know I was skeptical about your imprint on my daughter in the beginning, but I swear to you that I wouldn't have planned for you to runaway with her if I didn't trust you with every ounce of my being. I know you must be lost and questioning your ability to care for her, so I want you to know that you can do this Jacob Black. Don't ever give up on her or think that you aren't capable._

_I can only imagine what her hair looks like; I am smiling imagining your lack of skills in that department. I thought my letter should include some pointers. Use a very small amount of hair gel while it's wet and do not blow dry it._

_You will need to move around a lot while she is still growing so fast. That is the reason I left you so many plane tickets and it helped you both to not be tracked by my purchases. Once she has reached full maturity I hope that you decide to settle somewhere. _

_Wherever life takes you once you leave with her, I know you can do this. _

_You helped me through a very dark period in my life and I could not have made it without you. Please be the same for her. After what she has witnessed; she will need comfort and happiness through you. You saved me once and I love you for that; please save her now; she needs you so very much._

_On the rare chance that I or Edward survived; we may not contact you until we know the threat of the Vulturi is gone, but rest assured that if any of us survive we will find you. _

_Give my heart one last kiss for all of the lives lost_

_And when you look into her eyes_

_Know that you are staring straight into my soul_

_Tell her I love her whenever she doubts it _

_And sometimes even when she doesn't. _

_Tell her I'm proud of her for every accomplishment she makes in life .For an eternity; Never let her doubt just how much she means to me. Tell her of our story and how you saved me. Tell her how stubborn you were and how stubborn you will be. Let her know you will never give up on her. Because I know and you know that you never will. Love her Jacob…Love her enough for all of us; for all of the Cullen's and your pack as well. They risked their lives for my child and I love them all very deeply for that._

_I could write forever; telling you just how much you and Renesmee mean to me, but you already know that. Whenever you feel lost or don't know what to do; open this piece of paper and read it. I have all the faith in the universe in you and you should too._

_I have and will provide you both with all the money you will ever need. Please don't worry about that; you will know in due time. Depending on when you read this; you may already know._

_I love you, Jacob_

_Love, _

_Bells_

I slowly folded the paper and placed it back into its beautiful envelope. I will admit I shed a few tears as I read her last words to me. I would keep it and read it whenever I felt doubt, which may be a lot. I didn't know what she meant by all the money we would ever need, but I had a feeling I was about to find out.

I placed Bella's letter inside of Ness' backpack and reached in for the pile of papers.

I unfolded each of the them one by one and realized just what she had meant.

Each of the papers represented a bank account in many different countries with a balance and log in information for me to access the account. Each account had had Jacob Wolfe listed as an account holder, so I would be able to get money from each.

I was so overwhelmed. These accounts had millions in each one. I added in my head as I read each one. There were ten papers with an estimated total of over seven hundred million dollars. I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding. I felt light headed and had to support myself on the trunk of the car.

Bella had given me access to all of the Cullen fortune and trusted me with it. She had to have planned this meticulously in order to pull it off.

My fears of financial and emotional stability had just been diminished. I had all the money I could ever need and Bella's encouraging words to pull me through caring for Ness.

I shakily gathered the papers and placed them behind Bella's letter and zipped up the pink bag. Clutching it with my fist; I walked past the back window and peeked inside. Ness was sleeping peacefully with a small smile on her face. I smiled and crushed myself into the car to go on our shopping trip. That trip was less stressful now and I was actually looking forward to it. I could get Ness everything she needed and wanted and didn't have to worry about our recourses running out.

Pulling out of the small parking lot; I had a new hope that I would be everything she needed. Learning to believe in myself may not be so hard now that I knew Bella believed in me.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Jake and "The Magnificent Mile"

Apparently Michigan Avenue was the place to shop in Chicago. It sounded scary, but shopping in general was a scary thought for me. I was so out of my element in the city, although change never bothered me that much. I'm a fast learner; it's in my blood I guess. While stopping to get gas; I bought a map of the Avenue itself so I could navigate how this would go. I needed a plan of action so I didn't take more time than needed to get this done. After studying the map; I decided to stay at The Drake Hotel. It was the furthest away, but I had a thing for historic buildings. They had character and I wanted Ness to see many beautiful things on our travels. Yeah, yeah, I was becoming a softy. Taking care of a little girl, especially one like Ness, will do that to a man.

My plan was to go book the room for the night and check in, leave the car at the hotel's parking garage and take a cab back over the bridge to the first few blocks of stores. According to the map those were the ones I wanted to go to anyway. I would visit the mall at some point to buy Ness her clothes and other necessities. I would also stop and get the new iphone I've been hearing about. I could access the bank accounts from it and use it just as I would a computer, so it was a good buy. It may take me forever to learn how to work it, but I would eventually.

I put the map away and ventured my way through the city. Turning right onto Michigan Avenue; I slowly made my way through the traffic. I noticed a historic building to my right. It seemed slightly out of place, but was beautiful nonetheless.

I hoped that Ness would have fun today and as long as I had enough money for our room, and food left we would be ok. I could get online and have a debit card sent to our new address under the alias I had chosen, once we actually arrive at that new destination. I daydreamed of the house I would buy for us. I knew we would have to move around a lot within the next five to six years because of Ness' growth spurts, so I wasn't going to spend a fortune on a home just to sell it when we had to move. I wanted something cozy and comfortable that felt like home.

I drifted out of my own head and made my way down the busy street that was lined with shoppers and street performers. I crossed over the bridge onto the less busy end of the mile that is so well known. The hotel was impossible to miss. It looked like a castle from far off.

"Angel, do you see the big castle?"

I looked into the rearview mirror to see her neck stretched as far as possible, trying to see out of the window.

Smiling, I said "We will be there in a minute and you can see it up close."

We made our way to the hotel and I watched as the, twenty something, valet silently laughed at my attempt to get out of the clown car. I wanted to punch him in the face. Honestly, if Ness hadn't been with me, I probably would have. He was scrawny and about two feet shorter than me. Who did he think he was laughing at? I glanced around to see if Ness was still awake. She was. Damn.

I walked to hand him the keys and bowed my chest out as I took a step forward. You know, how the macho guys do to try and scare someone? Ness couldn't see, but I admit it was a pansy move. He fell backwards over his own feet flat on his ass. I swear he looked like he could piss himself any minute. It was funny as hell though. He stood up shakily and walked toward me to get the keys.

"Ttt—hhh-aaa-nnn—kk yyy-oo-uu ss—iiii-rrrr—"The little shit barely got out of his mouth.

He laughed at me first. I may be a big guy, but I'm not a bully. He started it.

Very mature Jake, I thought to myself. Well I was still Jacob Black, no matter what my new license said and the ass hole shouldn't have laughed.

With that out of my system, I walked to the back door and got Ness out. She wouldn't walk, but I figured as much. Her memory was much more distinct and clear than most children of her apparent age and it was hard for her to just be the happy go lucky child that she once was. On a lighter note though, she laughed today. So, all in all it was a good day whether she decided to walk or have me carry her.

She also hadn't bitten me since it all happened. It was always playful and she never hurt me, so I wondered if she thought I would get mad at her or if the game she played would hurt her emotional state more. I didn't know and didn't care really. That was the least of my problems, but I would ask her when we were settled. I would ask her to talk to me about that day and what she remembered and tell me her feelings because we couldn't just pretend it didn't happen. That day would be very far away, but I would never lie to her, ever. If she had a question I would always be truthful. I owed her that much at least.

For now though, we were going to have fun. I was determined to hear her laugh again today. I decided to splurge on the room and got a wonderful view. Our room would be overlooking Lake Michigan. I was lucky they had one of the suites left on such short notice. It was getting a little past lunch and we needed to eat before shopping. I was dead tired and decided to just have something in the restaurant downstairs.

We ate and caught a taxi back to the Northern part of the avenue.

First, I wanted to get clothes for myself. The only store I'd actually heard of was Gap, so I went in. They actually had a Gap Kids on the other side of the store, so I got Ness some things to try on. I went with all of the outfits on the manikins. Hey, can't go wrong with that right? I bought her the size that fit her and three sizes higher so I didn't have to go shopping again for at least a month. Smart move if you ask me. I got her a total of five different outfits, well fifteen outfits total, because there were a total of five ugly cloth dolls with no faces on metal stands in the store. They were really creepy.

None of the men's clothes fit me. I guess I forgot how utterly gigantic I really was. I went to check out and asked the clerk about big and tall stores in the area. She said one was located a little further down. I would keep a look out for it as I made my way.

As we were walking, a man drumming on paint cans caught Ness' eye. She smiled and pointed to him.

"You want to watch him drum for a little while?"

She nodded with excitement. She was a music lover like her father. I smiled at that and added a mental note to have her take lessons for any or all instruments she wanted to learn to play.

We walked over to him as he banged on the different sized cans scattered around him. I sat her down on her feet and she clapped as he played. Everyone else just past him by or gave him smirks or eye rolls, so Ness' attention was welcomed. He looked up at her as he played and started dancing along with her. She swayed back and forth and laughed that beautiful angelic laugh I'd heard in the park mere hours ago. The more she laughed the faster he played. I just watched in silent amazement with a goofy grin plastered on my face. He slowly stopped his drumming after a few more moments and Ness looked at me to pick her back up.

The moment was over, but it was definitely worth it while it lasted. The bearded man with tattoos smiled as I scooped her into my arms. I saw a coffee can off to the side with crumbled dollar bills inside and dug into my wallet. I discretely pulled out the money and put it in his collection tin.

As I walked away I heard someone yell.

"Sir! Sir! Wait!"

I turned to see the drummer running after me. I stopped and slowly walked back toward him.

"Sir, I'm sorry and I may regret this, but did you realize you left one thousand dollars in my bucket?"

"Yes I did. Your drumming is great, but her laugh is what I paid you for."

He looked at Ness then and smiled

"Thank you very much little lady." He said to Ness as he held his hand out to shake hers.

I was ready to explain to him how shy she was when her tiny hand reached out and took his timidly.

He shook her hand and bowed in front of us

"Nice to meet you miss." He said with animation.

She only giggled, but that was still ok. I had that stupid shit eating grin on my face again and honestly, I didn't care how ridiculous I looked. Today had been amazing. The drummer walked away with more pep in his step and so did I.

We went into the mall after that and bought a few toiletries and things of that nature and I also bought Ness a few pair of shoes. I bought everything in sets of four to save myself a huge headache later. I also bought us each a very nice set of luggage. She smiled and wiggled for me to let her down and pick out what she wanted. She picked out a set that was bright green with purple splatters all over it.

Before we left I shoved all of our bags into the luggage. This way, I had her in one arm and rolled my suitcase behind me with her suitcases lying on top of mine. We didn't have much more room, so I better get my clothes and phone then head back to the hotel.

We left the mall and saw Verizon close by, perfect. I went in and signed up. Luckily, they had just started carrying the phone I wanted. It took more time than I would have liked. When we came out it was dusk. We would have to go to the big and tall store and head back to get something to eat, get cleaned up and go to sleep.

We finally made it to the big and tall store. I bought several pairs of pants and more than several shirts. I had a feeling that buying myself clothes may not be such an easy task and most big and tall clothes look awful. These were really nice and I wanted to stock up. Since my shoe size was an eighteen I went ahead and bought four pair of shoes. Holding these bags and Ness were beginning to get the best of me. It was definitely time to go.

I shoved the remaining shopping bags into our luggage and called a cab to take us back to the hotel. It would be a very short ride so Ness would be fine in a seat belt. I forgot to bring her car seat. I don't know where I would've put it anyway.

The driver kept looking at me in the rearview mirror smugly.

She was a snoopy broad.

"Is there something you need?"

I asked, tired of her staring at me.

"Oh just noticing how cute your little girl is."

"Thank you." I said with an attitude. That is not what she was thinking;I could tell.

Oh well, I couldn't care less what this lady thought of me.

She let out a sigh and I just couldn't hold back.

"Is there something you want to say to me?" I said with exhaustion

"I'm sorry sir, there is just such a difference in the tone of your skin and your daughters; which may not matter if you hadn't loaded the newly purchased luggage into the car. It looks a little suspicious."

I wouldn't have said this if Ness hadn't fallen asleep, and I hated to say it now, but I had to. She couldn't call the cops under any circumstances. Ness could not be taken from me.

"If you must know, she is adopted and her mother, my wife, just passed away and we are moving to help her overcome her grief. Hence, the new luggage and our different skin tones."

"Oh, goodness, I'm so sorry, I..I.. shouldn't have said anything. You just don't know with people these days. You know?"

She was right and only looking out for the sleeping child beside me.

"I know miss and it's ok."

"Thank you … again I'm very sorry."

"No problem."

The rest of the ride was completely silent and I was grateful.

We pulled up to doors of the hotel and the cab came to a stop.

"How much do I owe you?"

"Don't worry about it. Ride's on me." She said sweetly.

"Thank you, but that's not necessary."

"I know, but please allow me to properly apologize for my mistake."

"Sure, Sure." I gave her my signature phrase with a smile.

I unloaded our things and lugged her sleeping form and the luggage into the elevator. Once we got to the room I lay her down on the bed. I can't believe she didn't wake up through all of that. I almost banged her head on the door frame coming in. I looked like a stumbling idiot the whole way.

Once she was settled I began unpacking everything. I knew if my head hit the pillow I would be out and would not wake up for hours. It wasn't that late and we hadn't eaten dinner, but I would order room service instead of going back downstairs.

Luckily our luggage was a three piece set because it took all of them to fit the clothes I had bought for us. Our luggage was packed and the food had just been delivered. I showered quickly and then woke Ness up for us to eat.

After we ate, I gave her a bubble bath and we brushed our teeth. I rummaged carefully back through her bags to find the Hello Kitty pajamas she had picked out. I brushed her hair and added a drop of hair gel as Bella had instructed and let her hair dry naturally. We may have to re-wet it in the morning, but tonight was a practice run.

"Ok, it's time for bed. We get to go on another airplane tomorrow." I said while fluffing the back of her hair

She reached up and touched my face and I saw flashes of today in my mind. She laughed again.

" I know; I had fun too. Goodnight, Angel."


	6. Chapter 6

_Chapter 6_

_Simplicity_

_Four years later….._

Leaning in the open doorway of my bedroom; I wondered if she would ever talk to me. She lay on her right side facing my side of the bed with both hands underneath her pillow; a trick she pulled to keep her dreams from me. She had one stray curl splayed across her forehead and the rest of her short hair was in disarray on the pillow behind her. She decided to cut it short a few weeks ago; it reached just above her shoulders and still lay in beautiful ringlet curls. She had never gotten the courage to move into her own bedroom and I didn't have the heart to tell her I thought she may be a little too old to share a room with me, so she had her room set up as if she slept there every night; however, we both slept in my king sized bed.

We had traveled to so many different countries these last few years that I finally decided to settle for a while, at least. Her growing has slowed down significantly and we are off in the back woods of Australia and not many of the locals cared about the difference in our size or what our story was. When I'd donated a little to help with the education of their children, they'd allowed me to build a modest cottage off of Mission Beach, just outside of their village. It is so beautiful here. We chose a spot overlooking the waterfall. I put a bay window in Ness' room that faces the water so her view is serene and hopefully relaxing.

Even with the magnificent view and the sound of the cascading water at night; Ness still wanted to sleep in my bed when nightfall came. She still had nightmares and I suppose the closeness of the only person she's really ever known keeps her comforted.

She looks absolutely beautiful sleeping right now. I can tell she is not having a nightmare because her face shows it all. I'm glad she is having a pleasant dream. I smile as I walk to the kitchen to start our Saturday morning ritual of blueberry pancakes and coffee. Ness taught me the art of cooking and I make a pretty mean blueberry pancake.

I gathered a few pieces of wood from our designated rack and loaded them into the stove.

We lived a true modest lifestyle; which some would say was missing out. Ness loved living in such simplicity. She was the purest of souls and had been since the day she was born. She didn't have a selfish bone in her body, so I couldn't understand the reasoning behind her silence.

She has taught me a lot in a very little amount of time; she taught me how to open my heart and get rid of my anger. She has grounded me when I almost lost myself so many times and I hope I have done the same for her. I just can't know for sure. I can read her emotions pretty well, but she is very private with that part of herself.

Ness is not weak or fragile, but she is unique. When she has something she wants on her mind; she more than likely gets it. Like, for instance to settle down and stop moving so much. Another Bella trait she inherited is the fact that she gets so lost in her thoughts that she will sit at that bay window for hours just staring at the waterfall without realizing it.

She is an artist to the core and everything in this house shows that. We have been here for about six months now and there are isles and canvas ', paints, brushes, charcoals, and several other materials just lying around in random areas. I love seeing remnants of her personality in every room of our house. She watches the locals a lot and paints portraits for their families. She also photographs them and travels to an authentic photography shop a few hours away a few times a month to get the film developed. The local villagers just adore Ness and so do the children. They were hesitant at first, but Ness has this energy about her that no one can deny.

She teaches the children the English language and how to paint and draw. They all love her dearly. She isn't your typical "sixteen" year old. She has an antique soul and is truly an amazing person. She talks to those children to teach them, but she will not speak to anyone else.

I have made it my mission to find out why she will not talk to me. When I found out she was teaching them English, I decided I would push her into talking to me. We have been through so much and I've seen her cry and scream in fear and agony night after night as a child. Why would she not trust me now?

Light, tinkling footsteps bring me out of my own thoughts and I look up to see Ness walking down our tiny hallway toward the kitchen. She was wearing a plain white t-shirt and flannel pajama pants. She half smiled half yawned as she tousled her hair with one hand.

"Good morning." I said with my usual smile

She smiled back and scrunched her nose at me.

"I'm working on our pancakes now, but the coffee's ready."

She strode by me and ran her hand along my cheek in a swift motion, just long enough, to say thank you.

"You know Ness….I would love to just hear you say it."

She froze once I'd said that and I thought I was done for. Instead of running up to her and begging forgiveness…I waited.

She stood there for a while before finally composing herself. That was the first time I'd been so blunt about her not speaking and I know it took her by complete surprise.

She slowly turned around to face me and walked to where I stood. She was standing closer to me than was comfortable, but I wouldn't mess this up because she wasn't running.

The top of her head reached below my chest so that I was looking down at her hair when she suddenly looked up with tears in her eyes. I was frozen and didn't know what to do or say or even think, instead, I just waited. I put the ball in her court because I needed to know what she was going to do or possibly say.

In the next moment, her ivory hand came to rest upon my cheek and she left it there as she looked into my eyes. The words: I'm Scared…followed by jumbles of other things I couldn't make out flew across my mind..I couldn't make out much of any of it.

She must really be a mess of emotions for that many unintelligible words to fly through my head.

"Tell me what you are scared of Angel."

She hung her head then and wouldn't look at me. I lifted her chin with my finger and she pulled away gently. I picked her up by her waist and sat her on the kitchen counter top to even our height and to be able to face her directly.

"Ness, please talk to me? I'm dying here."

The tears she had been fighting spilled over then and in the next instant she brought both palms to rest upon my flushed cheeks. I was terrified that I had ruined what we had and the trust she had in me, but I couldn't find it within myself to react. I could only wait to see her reaction and what she had to show me.

The words she wouldn't speak danced across a cloud filled sky in my conscious thoughts.

"Everything, I'm afraid of everything."

I hung my head in defeat as I lifted her off of the countertop by her petite waist and situated her feet onto the floor and her small form into my arms. I rested my chin on top of her head, even though I still had to put out some effort to do that, I needed to reassure her and no words in the universe would be enough for that.

So much for my first attempt at getting her to talk to me, but I was not giving up. She would talk to me; I just didn't know how to get her to open up. The parental part of me wanted to go snooping in her journal or poetry, but that wasn't me and I was not her father. I couldn't betray her trust like that even if it was for her own good.

I would bring it up again and next time I wouldn't give in so easily. She always got her her way with me, but I knew this was a very sensitive subject and I didn't want to push her in on herself even more than she was now.

I lightened the mood shortly after that by splattering pancake batter on her face. She laughed and our awkward tear filled moment was all but forgotten. We ate our breakfast in our usual comfortable silence. After four years of living with someone who chose not to speak I didn't feel the need to fill the silence with nonsense. If I wanted to say something I did, otherwise I was just silent and we were both ok with that.

I would attempt to talk to her tonight when we went to the waterfall to watch the sun set. We normally did this every single night and sat in silence. When we first began going out there I would try and talk to her and she would answer me in her way—after a while we just stopped talking and enjoyed the peaceful sounds of the waterfall and the view of the setting sun.

Until then, I had housework to do and she had tutoring sessions with the local children. I was your good old-fashioned Mr. Mom and I actually enjoyed it. I toyed with the idea of paying one of the villagers to clean and do laundry, but ultimately I found it relaxing and we didn't have a television so what in the world would I do with my time if I didn't do my own housework?

I worked at a steady pace inside of the house and out; gathering things from the garden and heating the stove for dinner. I was standing in the kitchen cleaning the vegetables I had gathered in the huge metal basin we used as a sink when I noticed Ness walking up the path to our cottage. She was wearing a baby blue sundress and was barefoot. Her hair was pulled up messily and a few stray curls framed her face. She had turned into such a beautiful young woman and I watched in amazement as she grazed her fingertips across the tips of branches as she passed; truly enjoying the beauty of nature that surrounded her.

She entered the house and smiled at me; touching my cheek to say hi

"You ready to go to the waterfall?"

She nodded and we packed our dinner into a basket along with cutlery and plates and a jug of water from the well she had gathered earlier in the week.

I rested one arm on her shoulders and pulled her into my side.

"I'm sorry about earlier Ness. I love you, you know that right?"

She just laughed and lightly punched me in the side. I may just have a chance at my latter plans.

We made our way to our usual spot and she sat the basket down beside her as she situated herself onto the slightly overgrown grass. Finding a spot beside her; I sat down and grabbed her hand.

Here goes nothing. It's now or never Black.

"Ness, can I ask you something?"

She knew. As soon as the words rolled from my lips I felt her hand tense in mine.

She nodded without looking at me while biting her bottom lip slightly.

"What am I doing wrong?" I asked her desperately as I rubbed circles on the top of her hand with my thumb.

I waited for an answer and got lost in the color difference of our skin as I wondered what she was thinking; too afraid to ask the question again; too afraid to actually get the answer.

After what seemed like an eternity; she turned to face me and placed her hand on my face. I let out the deep breath I hadn't realized I was holding and lowered my head slowly in defeat as I waited for words to float across my mind. They never came though.

"Jacob." I heard an angelic whisper full of love and devotion. I gasped and brought my hand to rest against hers; squeezing slightly I lowered our hands turning them so that her palm was facing me and placed a feathery kiss directly in the center.

I couldn't bring myself to say a word ironically. I just waited for her to speak.

"Everything you're doing is perfect. If you can be patient I will try. I promise." She whispered again with a smile. I knew she was answering my initial question without her elaborating. I still had so many questions for her and my heart raced with excitement at the small step we'd made tonight.

She only spoke a few words, but I could deal with that. We ate our dinner and watched the sun set. She didn't speak again that night, but I had hope that this was just the beginning.


	7. Chapter 7

(Ness' words to Jake)

Chapter 7

Everything

Jake's POV

I dreamt of her voice that night. All I could hear were her words echoing in darkness with a splash of translucent light shining from some unknown source. Time seemed to stand still as the velvet of her first spoken words in four years entered my ears instead of my head. The sound was sweet and gentle, like the sounds of angels breathing and nearly made my heart stop beating. She had told me I'd done nothing wrong. If that's true then why had she chosen not to speak to me until now?

She has always been smart, well, more than that…Ness is wise beyond her years, so I know she has a very good reason, in her eyes, as to why she hasn't spoken.

Before we'd made that small breakthrough, I had plans to give her the letters from her parents on her upcoming birthday. Now, I'm afraid it may halt her progress; I will wait a while longer. I will stick with my plan to re-stock her library of books we didn't have room to take everywhere we went.

I had bought her thousands of text books and novels over the years. School hadn't been an option because she grew so fast. She read through them all and memorized all of the information using her astonishing photographic memory. I'm sure she got that from Edward. She was heartbroken to give the books up. Donating them made her decision easier.

Over the next few weeks after her initial words, she spoke a little more. She would say simple phrases. Things such as, thank you, or love you, yes, and please. She gave me just enough so that I wouldn't push her for more. I cannot picture her ever holding on a complete conversation, but I suppose that's only because I've gotten so used to the way things have been.

I'd somehow managed to get her a new stock of books without her knowing, or at least if she did know, she had mercy on me and was going to let me surprise her. The morning of her "Fifth" birthday I woke up way too early to stock the already built shelves in her room.

I always got up before she did because things happen to men in the mornings and since she was determined to share a bed with me; I had to compromise and get up before her. If she ever caught me with a hard on; I would literally have a heart attack. I opened my eyes and I'm guessing it was around three a.m.

She was asleep with her hands snuggly cradled underneath her pillow. I wondered the same question I'd wondered every morning since she started sleeping with her hands hidden. I slowly ran my hand underneath the pillow and held hers gently, debating on whether or not to intrude into her dreams. Would I be betraying her trust if I just pulled her hand out and rested it on my cheek? There was a reason she had begun to hide her dreams from me. I knew it wasn't a malicious reason and that peaked my interest even more. I sighed heavily and let go of her hand, retreating mine from underneath the pillow.

I just couldn't do it. She would tell me eventually. I was not willing to backtrack and mess up the amazing progress we had made.

I stared at her for a moment before I stretched and got out of bed.

The throbbing of my penis reminded me that this one was not going away. I made my way to the wash room and splashed cold water on my face from the basin in front of me and took care of business like any other day.

Today was special for Ness though; I would make her breakfast and stock her shelves with the antique collection of books I had spent a small fortune on. It was the most money I've spent on anything in a very long time. However, Ness deserved this and I wouldn't be ashamed of spending it.

Later, I'd planned on visiting the beach with her and giving her the second part of her gift, which I knew would be a complete surprise.

I worked hurriedly to finish things before she got up. Breakfast was made and her shelves were stocked. I went through the box of things she hadn't unpacked to add the last personal touches to her bookshelves.

It was the only remnants of her past she had been able to carry with her from place to place. The tattered book from Bella, Edward's composition, and all of our photo albums including the one left for her from Alice. These were her most precious possessions and I hoped she would be happy that I'd decided to add them for her.

The small box that carried our nightmares along with sweet memories was sitting right in front of me. I had managed to hold myself together for her all this time, but looking at the album that held pictures of my Quileute family made my heart nearly beat out of my chest. I wasn't expecting such a reaction on my part. I was Jacob Black bearer of all things dark and wretched. I was the glue of the foundation that was Renesmee Carlie Cullen. I simply could not be having a panic attack right now. I ran my fingers slowly over the tattered cover and closed my eyes.

Deep breaths Jake…

In…

Out…

In…

I felt wetness on my face and reached to touch my heated skin. I was crying…. At the simple sight of this damned book. How in the hell did this happen? I turned and situated myself onto her bed facing the door and rested my head in my hands. I just needed to calm down and I would be ok. I never expected to have a breakdown over the sight of a photo album.

If I had this reaction; I wondered if I should put them on the shelf for Ness? I debated back and forth for what I thought was mere minutes…

Renesmee pov

The feeling of Jake's warm hand on mine awoke me from a pleasant dream. His touch was always a comfort to my ever so nervous mind; Running circles around itself and never giving me a moment's peace. There were so many things I wanted to tell him. I wanted him to know how much he means to me and how his strength has kept me from falling to pieces over what happened more than four years ago. Then, the other part of my mind knows deep down he could not be the stone of a man not harmed. I always looked for weakness in his onyx eyes, but all I found was love and admiration. Of one thing I was sure; he hid his pain very well.

I was very careful not to let him know he had awakened me. It was after all my birthday and I knew he had something planned. Not a birthday has gone by that he has not made a fuss over. Today was no different, so I gave him the chance to retreat his hand before I let myself go into full panic mode. There was no reason to panic, I told myself. I was awake as were my dreams vanished. He would not know of the secret I held.

I had no doubt that he would remove his hand and not intrude into my subconscious. He loved me too much to allow that. My love for him is my only reason for keeping him in the dark. As I much anticipated, his hand slowly crept from underneath my pillow. Feeling the absence of his touch was not pleasant, however I was grateful for his respect. I could feel lingering eyes on me and felt my cheeks begin to flush. He would know I was awake if he stayed much longer. Secretly I begged him to get out of bed and to not notice I had been awake all along.

The familiar creek of the bed assured me that I was alone. Jake always got up before me because I let him. I was more mature than he thought me to be, but I would give him the privacy he needed and the self assurance that I was asleep each morning when he got out of bed. I knew what he did and why he was determined to get up before I did. I am an intelligent girl and my mind does put things together rather quickly. Although for Jake's sake, I would never let him know of these things.

I lay there silent for what seemed like an eternity, when I heard him almost silently sobbing. Average human ears would not have detected the whispering tears. My heart broke into fragments of itself when I heard his strength falter for the very first time.

I decided in that very moment that I owed it to him to be his rock. He had held me up so many times and pulled me through my misery. He cared for me as a helpless child and loved me without asking for anything in return. I would give my life for that same man. He was the string that held my fragile soul together and I would not let him down.

As I slowly crept my way down the narrow hallway I was careful to make my footsteps as light as a feather. If he had the slightest idea I was on my way his hard façade would build up immediately and I wanted to witness him broken. As horrid as that sounds it is true. He has always seemed too strong, it was as if he turned off the emotions he did not want to feel. I knew he needed to feel these things before his healing could begin.

This is the entire reason why I had not spoken in the years we have been together. He holds too much guilt for that day as it is. If he knew the amount of pain I felt because of the lives lost for my life to continue he would never forgive himself until he knew my pain was gone. I could not bring myself to tell him how I felt because he lost his entire family that day just as I did. I am afraid of one thing when it comes to what Jake feels. I'm afraid the feeling he locked away is regret…

When I reached the doorway to my room I was overwhelmed with emotion. On my bookshelf sat dozens of antique books in mint condition and a burly Jake sitting on my bed with my box of remembrance beside him. His beautiful face resting in his hands with his elbows supporting them.

I lost all sense of silence and why my words had never been spoken. Gracefully, I walked to him and knelt between his legs; pulling his hands down from his face. The look of horror that stared back at me has a permanent place in my memory.

I smiled back at his paralyzed expression with tears streaming down my cheeks. Squeezing his hands softly I raised myself up to rest my lips against his ear and whispered.

"Thank you, Jacob Black for my birthday gifts, for taking care of me when no one was there to take care of you, for being my light in the darkness, for just being. I love you."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

-Jacob-

"Thank you Jacob Black for my birthday gifts, for taking care of me when no one was there to take care of you, for being my light in the darkness, for just being. I love you."

She said those words with such conviction and I knew she meant every one. The soft breath she exhaled left chills on my skin. She had never said anything like that to me before, not even using her gift. She always showed me love and affection wherever we went in the form of holding my hand or kissing my cheek. I never could get her to understand that she couldn't do that when she got older. We got stares from the locals when she would do those things. The small town we travel to for supplies thinks that I am her guardian and she is my adoptive sister. So, pretty much it looks odd. I laugh now because we have the papers to prove our story if anyone tries to dig deeper. I don't think Ness would care either way. I love that about her. No matter the circumstance she shows me she cares, but to hear those words dripping with truth fall from her lips was like an electric shock to my soul.

The words flowed from her mouth like silk. She spoke just like her father, but with the softness of her mother. She didn't stumble over a single word like Bella used to. I loved that about Bella though. The funny thing is; I love the way Ness speaks with such certainty, just as her father did. I despised that trait in him and now I love that same one in his daughter.

I knew this took a lot of courage for her to come to me like this and I couldn't bear to hurt her or make her think her efforts were in vain.

"I love you too, angel. I'm sorry for this." I said gesturing to the mess I was.

"This is the first time I have seen you shed a tear since the first week we left. I think you may have needed to." She said as she wove her tiny fingers through my hair and brought it down to rest on my cheek with a timid smile on her face.

"You remember that?" the words came before I meant them to. We had not talked at all about that day or the emotional weeks that followed. I knew for sure the toddler she was had forgotten my several meltdowns that first week. At least I told myself she had.

She just nodded lightly while looking up at me through her lashes.

"I'm sorry for that too, Ness. I'm supposed to be the strong one here and you're coming to my rescue. That's not how it's supposed to work."

She stood then and grabbed the photo album; running her fingers gently over the cover she let out a breath and sat beside me on the bed.

"Jacob, you lost people you loved on that day too, not just me. I am not the only one hurting from the past."

She said each word so sweetly and in harmony with one another. I didn't necessarily want to have this conversation, but I had wanted her to open up and talk to me for four years. I would be a coward if I pushed her away now.

Bringing my hand up to run my rough palm down her ivory cheek, I answered. "I did Ness, but I don't regret our decisions that day. If we hadn't made each and every decision we did; you would not be here right now."

"I cannot understand what makes me so worth all of that bloodshed and death."

She said, matter of factly and not as a question; however, I would answer her anyway. How could she say that! Doesn't she know how good and pure and beautiful her life is and what she meant to each and every soul that died for her that day?

"Hey." I said lifting her chin with my finger so that she was looking into my eyes.

"They knew what they were getting into and went in with no fear or regret. Their mission was to save the sweet and innocent soul of a little girl that captured their heart from the time she rested her palms against their cheeks. They wouldn't have regretted that day and neither do I."

Her chin began to quiver and tears welled in her eyes making her beautiful brown orbs sparkle. It broke my heart to see her cry. I leaned in and rested my lips against her forehead. The scent that engulfed my senses was a pleasant mixture of lemon and vanilla. I breathed in deeply to memorize it, and then brought her tiny head down to rest on my chest.

After a few moments, I ruffled her hair a bit and told her we needed to eat breakfast because her birthday surprise wasn't over. It took a bit, but the life came back into her features and she was my happy girl again. She bounced back from heartache so easily or she hid it well. I have a feeling it was the latter.

We ate our then, cold breakfast in silence; that was ok with me. Her coming to me this morning was because I was upset. That didn't give me a free pass to push her into more. She would tell me her feelings in due time, however, I had a feeling she wouldn't let me off the hook with mine either. I think that fact scared me more than finding out the meaning and reasons behind her silence for so long. She may have spoken sooner had I forced her or been more demanding, but she seemed like a happy girl and I couldn't bring myself to test her and just see what may or may not happen. Hell, who was kidding? I was scared for her to actually talk to me because that meant I had to face my emotions and fears as well. Maybe, neither of us had been ready and I just used her as an excuse to keep the comfort of how things were with us.

"Jake?"

My first instinct was to close my eyes and smile. She hadn't called me by my nickname since she was tiny and the sound of it rolling off her lips was music to my ears. I wondered if I would ever get used to hearing her voice especially since the last time I heard it she was a toddler and had that quiet squeak that was so adorable.

"Jake, are you ok?"

This snapped me out of my reverie.

"Yes, I'm fine. I'm sorry, Ness. What is it?"

"What were you thinking about just now?"

"How happy I am that we are moving forward."

I said, with a smile. I hoped she couldn't read right through my bullshit.

She smiled. "Me too."

She said it sincerely, but I knew there was a hint of knowledge behind her eyes. I am so in for it, I thought nervously.

~Ness~

After breakfast, I went into my room to get ready for Jacob's other birthday surprise. I had not known about the books and my heart skipped a beat when I realized what he had done for me. It hurt me to see him so vulnerable, but I was glad at how things had turned out.

I wondered what else he had planned for me because I hadn't a clue. I knew it would be special though. Anything he ever planned for me was always over the top. I smiled, thinking of all of the wonderfully corny birthdays I'd shared with him over these last four years. My first birthday had been the best to date; although I think today has taken it's place. My birthday was the only time he let himself spend without conscious thought. We were in Italy when celebrating that year and he bought out an entire circus so I could enjoy it and have as many elephant rides as I wanted. I also got a trapeze lesson while there. That memory is precious to me because it was then that I realized I would eventually be happy or at least find happiness in the little things with Jacob.

We packed our usual lunch and headed out to the waterfall. I knew this much would happen. It had been our safe haven since we had moved here. The sound of the water crashing against the rocks below brought peace to both of us. We have sat, in silence of course, for hours just listening to the rhythmic sound.

This had to be big for Jacob or he would not have brought me to the falls. I say this because we are both more relaxed here.

~Jacob~

"Close your eyes." I commanded with a smile.

She smiled back at me and covered her eyes with her palms.

I slowly brought the small bracelet up and clasped it onto her left wrist.

"Ok, Ness. You can look. I hope you like it."

A small smile crept upon her lips as she studied the charm hanging from the bracelet.

"I have missed your wolf" she said in a light tone. "Is this the same charm you carved for my mom?" she asked with a hint of shyness.

"Yes, it's a replica though. The original is lost in transition." I said quietly. I don't think I'd ever fully come to terms with Bells' death because I didn't witness it. I suppose it never hurt to hold out hope. I couldn't bare to tell Ness that. I didn't want her to hold on to the same hope because until I knew for sure she was safe from the Vulturi; we couldn't search for anyone and I had no clue when that time would come.

"it's beautiful, thank you." She said, swiping tears timidly from her cheeks.

"Did you just say you've missed my wolf?" I'd forgotten her first reaction to the gift and was shocked that she'd acknowledged my other half.

"I did. Why don't you shift in front of me anymore?"

I could tell she was nervous and didn't want to bring up the past, but my answer had everything to do with the past. I'd refused to shift in front of her because of the trauma she'd been subjected to that day and thought it may trigger some sort of fear. I honestly think I may have wasted these last couple of years babying her instead of trying to reach her.

It was now or never.

"I didn't want you to get upset or be afraid of me." I answered honestly.

"I could never fear you. I actually would like to tag along on your midnight weekly hunts." She said with a devious smile.

I was floored. This Ness I had envisioned was everything I knew her to be, but not the child I'd taken her for. I honestly thought I was keeping these hunting trips from her. My face grew red as I realized what else she'd probably known all along. THAT was a subject I'd never bring up though.

I had to reciprocate her smile.

"it's on then. You hunting or just watching the master work?" I smirked.

"I think you know me better than that Jacob." She challenged.

And I did. This should be fun.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

~Ness~

We made our way back to the cottage to await midnight. We would sleep for a while and hunt later.

I still loved sleeping in Jacob's bed. He was so warm and inviting. I could feel the heat from his elevated temperature radiating off of him and it felt like home. I had to be careful of sharing my dreams with him because he would get too much of a glimpse into my inner most fears and thoughts.

Tonight, though; I think I may just give him that glimpse. He needs to see me as more than a child and this is the only way. I am terrified of what he will think, but I have to show him that I trust him enough to let him in. otherwise, he will not trust me with the same conviction.

It never took Jake long to fall asleep, so I waited until I knew I would not wake him with my touch. I gently rested my palm on his cheek and moved in a little closer to him. There was no way I could sleep like this comfortably if I was too far away.

I had forgotten how comforting it was to be this close to Jake. The older and more mature I grew; more boundaries seemed to awaken ; whether I thought what we had was inappropriate or not. I was much more in tuned to Jake's feelings than he thought me to be. I knew he was not pushing me away. He was simply giving me the space he thought I needed to be healthy and not feel smothered.

I drifted to sleep with my palm pressed firmly to his cheek. It was more difficult to fall asleep when I hadn't a clue of what Jake would see or what his reaction might be.

-Jake-

Darkness surrounded me; complete pitch black. As if it would have made a difference I rested my hand on my brow trying to see at least one step in front of me. As I suspected; my plan didn't work. Taking one small step forward, I felt for the floor in front of me. A small crunch of leaves helped me to realize I was outside and possibly in a forest of some kind. I felt as if I was being pulled in a certain direction and had no control over whether I followed. Involuntarily my feet began to march at their own accord. My hands instinctively shot out to either of my sides and felt for trees or brush, but there was nothing.

I wasn't even sure if this was reality or just a dream, but I had to keep going. My feet ached and my heart was pounding by the time I saw it; just a tiny spec of light in the distance. It grew slightly each time I took a step forward.

Finally able to see the ground beneath me it was black as well. The foliage wasn't dried or burned like I'd expect black leaves to be. It was as if they were perfectly healthy. Continuing my journey I noticed the trees and their trunks had the same midnight color. They lined a long and wide pathway to the glowing circle; in an odd way they were beautiful. Looking back toward the light I noticed a siluette standing in the center. She was wearing a white gown that flowed freely with the gentle breeze. I could only tell this because the end of her gown moved with grace just outside of the circle of light. Inside the circle; I could see nothing, but blinding whiteness

Picking up my pace I jogged toward the mysterious being. The pull was ten if not one hundred times greater than it had been before I laid eyes on her form. Before long I felt as if my feet were no longer touching the earth, but dragging along it. I was no longer carrying myself. She was my gravity, my reason for being, the force that pulled me closer without any doing of my own. At this point, I had no doubts that the form I was seeing was Renesme. With the pull I had toward her; it couldn't have been anyone else.

As I approached I could see the back of her head and her short bronze curls flowing along with her gown. I felt my feet plant firmly onto the earth again and just as they did she turned to face me. Her face tortured with agony and sadness. Her eyes shed tears of blood and I felt my heart twist and almost shatter.

My eyes raked down her body and I gasped quietly.

Her silk gown was covered in blood; as it dripped, it pooled around her bare feet. My eyes followed their trail back up her body and I met her eyes again. I couldn't move or else I would have ran to her and held her and told her it would all be ok, but my feet would not let me move. Slowly she brought her hands up from her sides and looked at them. They were covered in more blood; it cascaded through each of her fingers and found it's place in the pool below. She flipped them back and forth as if trying to see if her eyes were deceiving her. When the blood didn't leave her hands she looked back at me and everything was suddenly full of light. I fell to my knees and my chest caved when I saw what she had been hiding in the darkness.

My family, her family all lay broken and bloody in a pile around her. Bodies of wolves and vampires lay on top of each other. Directly beneath her feet lay Edward and Bella torn to pieces. Their faces being the only way to tell them from the others. Before I could blink, Ness' vampire parents went up in flames. The flames were ice blue and slowly engulfed Ness along with the rest of the bodies.

I watched in horror as Ness burned alive. I reached for her, but my feet wouldn't pick me up from the ground. She reached for me and whispered my name just as I was pulled backwards into darkness again.

I awoke gasping for air. As I sat up; I felt a tiny hand fall from my face. This had been what she was hiding from me. The guilt and pain she felt about the bloodshed and lives lost that day. She was stronger than I thought and she had me awestricken. I'd had nightmares along the years, but never like this and I hated to think this may not have been the worst one.

Her eyes slowly opened and I noticed tear stains on her flushed cheeks.

I didn't think I just scooped her up into my arms and held her. It had been no accident that I saw into her dreams or rather, nightmares.

Neither of us had words to express what we were feeling at the moment and I felt it best to remain quiet. I leaned back and pulled her slightly away so I could look at her. She had sadness in her eyes that I had never seen except in the dream we just experienced together. Bringing both hands to her face; I gently wiped away the few stray tears she'd cried quietly into my shirt and kissed her forehead as I whispered,

"Thank you."

Those were the only words spoken about the event and for now we were both ok with that.

We both quietly got ready for our first hunt together since she was a toddler.

She didn't seem nervous at all, but I, on the other hand, was a bundle of nerves. Pushing back my anxiety I grabbed her hand and sprinted toward the forest to begin our adventure.

We made our way deep into the woods; far enough in so that the locals would not hear the snarls and find out our secret. I had learned over the past few months just where their boundary lines were and where they dare not cross, so we were safe. Ironically, they had this belief that a vicious beast lived in the area we were hunting and had believed this long before Ness and I settled here. I had to assume this may be true because most would say neither I nor Ness existed. I never let it bother me too much because I knew I had at least a chance against this mysterious beast, if it did, in fact, exist. So far, I'd never come in contact with it.

"So, what is it you hunt?"

"Dingoes."

"Jake, we can't hunt Dingoes, they're endangered."

"I know Ness, I made sure to research this before I hunted on this land. The purebred dingoes are protected. The interbred; are not." I said with a smile.

There weren't any real predators in these woods other than wild dogs and dingoes, my obvious choice is wild dogs. I looked at it as helping the cause. By hunting the interbred I may actually help preserve the native animal.

"How do I tell the difference?"

"My canine senses just tell me, I guess. I'll give you a nod and you know to go for it."

Something in their demeanor just told me whether they were purebred. Maybe they held more fear or reservations than that of the true dingoes. I wasn't sure, but through my navigation and observations I'd been able to learn several differences in the two.

Once we were safely in the depths of the forest, I let go of Ness' hand and turned to her.

"I'll shift over here. Be right back."

She shook her head in acknowledgement.

"Ok, I'm going to look around a bit."

"be safe Ness."

"I will, don't worry. I think I could take it anyway." She said with a sly smile.

"sure, sure, just be on the lookout."

"sure, sure." She quoted me.

Shifting had become second nature to me over the past few years, but shifting with Ness this close by definitely had not. I was nervous as hell and I know she could sense it.

It took a small pep talk to phase into my alter ego.

I could see Ness just ahead. She was careful to heed my warning and not go too far into the forest.

Walking up behind her I nudged her back with my muzzle. She turned, smiling at me and rested her palm on the tip of my nose, and smiled.

"I've missed you." She smirked as she took off into a sprint.

I followed suit.

From my previous hunting trips I knew that the dingoes stayed within a certain perimeter of the waterfall. They had several dens in different places and I knew of most of them.

I caught up to Ness just in time to see her frozen and staring straight ahead. Her eyes had gone red and she seemed to be entranced.

I studied the forest ahead to see what her eyes were focused on. I whimpered involuntarily when I caught sight of him. My keen night vision caught a glimpse of bronze hair and my heart sank. In the seconds it took for the figure to see me; he was gone.

Edward? Impossible!

If I hadn't been so worried about Ness I would have chased after him. This definitely wasn't over. Why had whoever he was chosen to show himself tonight? Did he sense Ness? Was it really Edward? If it was; what power did he now posses that he hadn't before and why would he use it against Ness?

How was it even possible when I had seen his head ripped from his body with my own eyes?

**A/N: **Well, it's been forever since I updated! I now have a 4 month old and we've moved (not far) since my last update. I apologize, but hope this chapter makes up for it.

Please leave your reviews and let me know what you think! Seeing alerts that my story is still being added to favorites and story alerts makes me smile :)

I'm working on a personal writing project, so PLEASE review and let me know any of your constructive critisism or just to say hello!


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: For my existing readers: I am updating every chapter to include some editing and change in minor details. Nothing that changes where the story was going. These minor changes just make the story flow better. I took into account some of the questions from my reviewers and made a few changes. It's great if you choose to re-read, but you won't miss any major details. FYI: Ness and Jake take the alias' Bella originally chose for them. I think that's the biggest change. :)**

**Everyone please review and let me know what you think. Good or Bad!**

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns the characters and all things ****twilight...I'm just using them for my entertainment. :)**

Chapter 10

Home

I carried Ness back home so she could regain her composure. Whatever this thing had done to her it had made her go unconscious. I gently layed her down on my bed and went to wet a washcloth. When I returned she was awake and physically shaken.

"Who was that in the woods Jake?"

She said wiping at the sweat that had formed on her forehead. I handed her the washcloth and she rubbed it across her clammy skin.

"I have no idea, but I promise you if he caused this to happen he is definitely not your father."

"You saw him?"

"Only a quick glimpse of the hair."

"Something doesn't feel right about this Jake."

"I know, but right now we need to make sure you aren't hurt. You were completely entranced by him. Ness, how could that have happened when you are half vampire?"

"I don't know. All I remember is red eyes and bronze hair. Like the color of my dads. I do know one thing is for certain though. You're right, this man was not my father."

"Well,I thought so at first, but now that I see what he did to you and we can both agree on that."

"What should we do?"

"The only thing I know to do. Contact Jenks. He's our only link to the outside world"

"Who is Jenks?"

"The man that helped your mom strategize our escape plan."

"How can he help us?"

"I'm not sure. He's our only option if we want to find out any information. I'll call him first thing in the morning."

She gently shook her head and positioned herself underneath the cover.

Ness slept closer to me that night than she had any other night. I knew she needed the closeness because of what had happened during our hunt. As much as I had talked to her about inappropriate behavior I had to say; nothing about her being close felt inapropriate. My concern was mainly to the outside world. I held her close to me for the short time we slept. I woke up to the sound of her whimpering and slowly reached around for her hand. I rested her palm on my cheek and drifted back to sleep. At least I could experience her pain with her even if I couldn't help her overcome it.

I must have drifted off pretty quickly because soon after that I was back in her dreams. I was always aware for some reason. I was there but only as an ornamental component. I couldn't change the dream; only experience it.

This time thick brush towered above me. It was green in color with yellows and oranges painting the tips of the leaves that hung from the vines. Once I pushed my hand through I realized they were all that separated me from an image of our cabin. It almost looked like a painting on a canvas. The colors were brighter in the dream than I remembered them. I walked slowly up our gravel driveway. There seemed to be a fog surrounding the entire scene before me. When I got closer to the cabin I saw Ness sitting in her window seat. She turned her head and looked in the opposite direction. Someone must have said something to her.

Once I was inside I walked lightly to her bedroom door. The floor didn't make its usual creeking noises. The dream didn't call for it I guess. I peaked inside her door and a gasp escaped me without my permission. I was the person she'd turned her head for. She was standing in the center of the room and I was standing in front of her. I could see the profile of both of us. Her hand was rested on my cheek and mine was resting firmly on the curve of her back. Dream Jacob leaned down and pressed his lips to hers in a soft gentle kiss.

I couldn't watch this. That part of my imprint had never even come to my mind. I hadn't thought of myself as her father or her lover. I was simply her guardian and she had been my angel. I tried to wake myself up. To stop intruding on her inner most thoughts. I pinched my skin and slapped my face trying to wake up. The first thought that came into my mind was panic and fear. Never had MY Ness been in my mind this way. The second thing that entered my mind was that I wanted to be the Jacob kissing her. He felt like someone I didn't know. I was jealous of him and I wanted it desperately to be me she was holding in her arms.

I gave in and turned around to see the current state of her dream. The kiss was more passionate now and her hands grasped at the back of his hair. She reached down with her free hand to the button on his jeans and he stiffened immediately. I felt a surge of relief flood through me. He stopped the kiss and leaned back to look at her and simply shook his head. Her expression was broken and so was her heart. Dream Jacob left her standing there and walked away without a word. I hated this Jacob. I was not him and I would not break her heart. I knew in the back of my mind that one day we would possibly be lovers and best friends and walk through life holding on to each other as both. I wasn't ready for that day yet, but I swore to myself then that if she had these feelings I wouldn't make her feel ashamed of them.

On the other hand, what if she only felt this way because I was all she knew? Shouldn't the choice be hers? MY imprint doesn't dictate her choice or her feelings. I don't even know if she knows how the imprinting works. We had so many things to talk about on top of the fact that some psycho who looks like her dad may be chasing us.

All of a sudden I saw nothing but darkness and then I snapped back into reality. When my eyes opened Ness wasn't in bed. I heard sobs coming from the bathroom. I mentally punched myself for intruding. I had no idea that was one of the things she had been hiding from me. I somehow forgot that she is technically a teenager now and as all teenagers do she had feelings start to surface. I wanted to be gentle with her and not make her feel any worse, but the thought of having 'The Talk' with Ness scared the shit out of me.

I got out of bed and knocked on the washroom door.

"Ness, please come out."

"I will be fine Jake. Can you give me a few minutes?"

"Sure, sweetheart. Just please come out and talk to me."

"Promise. I just need some time."

"Take all the time you need. I'll be looking through the paperwork, ok."

With that I walked into the kitchen and started digging for the stuff Bella had left with me. J. Jenks' contact information was somewhere in this pile of papers.

I didn't want Ness to think I was twiddling my thumbs waiting for her.

After about twenty minutes she came into the kitchen with swollen eyes and red cheeks.

I had never been shy around Ness when it came to words. Today, though, I was at a loss.

"Ness, I'm so sorry I intruded. I thought that since you'd shown me...I just wanted to be there...to try and help...I'm just... I'm sorry."

A small smile formed on her lips and I laughed at myself for getting tongue tied.

"You really have nothing to be sorry for. I do wish you hadn't seen that dream, but I can't blame you for wanting to experience my emotions with me instead of me feeling alone."

"I just had no idea that... was.."

I laughed again.

"Ness, I'm sorry. I'm no good at this. I just want you to know that I won't ever hurt you."

"I know, Jake."

"Do you want to talk about anything... um.. from the dream?"

"Yes, eventually, but today we have a phone call to make."

She said, smiling sweetly.

I felt like the kid here. I could tell she was trying to make me feel more comfortable. I thought of Bella's letter and laughed to myself. She thought taming unruly curls was the worst of my problems. I knew in the back of my mind she believed I could figure it out on my own. Some advice would have helped, but in the long run reading those things five years ago would have really sent me over the edge. Bella knew that I'm sure. Thinking of Bella made me realize I'd never given Ness the letters from her parents. I made a mental note to do that soon.

Ness calculated the time difference somehow and I called the number on J. Jenks' business card. Ness said he would recieve the call around lunchtime and the date would be technically yesterday. Her brain is a rolodex of information. I knew that whatever we faced it would definitely benefit us.

The phone rang twice and a man picked up.

"Jenks, here."

"Mr. Jenks. This is Jacob Wolfe."

I'd gotten so used to calling myself that over the years. I wondered if he'd even remember that alias.

"Ah, Mr. Black. I've been awaiting your call for sometime now. This is highly important. All I can say is that you must immediately fly Washington. Call this number and hour before you land at the Port Angeles airport and someone will be there waiting for you and take you to the person you need to talk to."

"What are you..."

I didn't even finish my sentence before he hung up.

I looked at Ness with confusion written all over my face.

"What did he say?"

"We need to fly to Washington."

"What? Why? What did he say?"

"He just said that it's highly important and we must leave immediately."

We wasted no time at all getting a flight from Sydney. We packed clothing only and prayed our things would be safe while we were out. The memory box and picture album Ness stuffed in her duffle back. She said she could buy a few outfits once we got there, but she wasn't going to leave that here. I brought all of my paperwork and clothing. With all of the layover and time changes it would take us about three days to get to Washington. Our last flight was from Chicago to Port Angeles and would last about two hours. We'd slept on and off during our previous flights. We were too anxious to sleep during the last flight. Going home had never been a possibility before and now within three days we'd been hit all at once with an apparant dier situation.

After about a half hour of silence Ness looked at me and asked quietly.

"Are you scared?"

"A little." I told her the truth.

"Do you think my parents are alive?"

That instantly made me grateful that I'd brought the letters along. I'd forgotten until now.

"I honestly don't know Ness. I have something for you though. I hope you aren't angry with me. My intention was never to keep them from you. I just wanted the time to be right."

I pulled the letters from my briefcase and handed them to her.

She had an expression I couldn't quite read.

She stared at them in her hands for what seemed like eternity and then, slowly and carefully opened and read each one.

I saw glints of tears and sadness along with smiles and happiness and a giggle somewhere in between. No doubt she was reading Bella's letter when she giggled.

When she was done she folded them perfectly back into their perspective envelopes and put them into her laptop case.

She turned and looked at me with a smile.

"Thank you for giving them to me now. The timing was perfect."

"You're welcome. Did you know I had them?"

Her response gave me the impression that she let me choose when to give them to her.

"I did. I knew you would give them to me when you thought I was ready. To be honest I've always been scared to read them."

I smiled. I was afraid it may be too much on you, but I'm beginning to learn that you're tougher than you look."

"You bet I am. So don't try me Black."

I let out a belly laugh without realizing it and the entire cabin turned to look at Ness and I. She just kissed my shoulder and layed her head where her lips had been; smiling.

"There's my Jacob." was all she said.

She felt like home and warmth. In that moment I could see our future. I may not be ready right now to go down that road and explore deeper feelings. I knew I would be ready one day and I'd follow her lead if spending her life with me was what she really wanted. If she didn't I would let her choose her path. Either way I would love her for my entire life.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Here is another chapter for you guys! I'm notorious for leaving my readers hanging and I am sorry for that. Hopefully 2 chapters in a row will make it up to everyone. I just got a Macbook and after 20 something years of using a PC I'm a little lost so I apologize for anything that looks a bit off. I'm still trying to figure out the best writing App. If anyone has any suggestions please let me know!**

**I hope you all enjoy this chapter and please review. :)**

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns the characters and all things twilight...I am just using them for my entertainment. :)**

Chapter 11

I'd made the phone call to Mr. Jenks an hour into our last flight and as promised a man was there to pick us up. A tall slender man with spiked black hair held a sign with the name Wolfe splayed across it in bold print.  
Ness and I made our way to him and I introduced myself. Ness was too nervous to speak. I'd noticed during our travels here that when she was around unfamiliar people she tended to revert back to silence. She would simply speak when spoken too. The man didn't tell us his name or where he would be taking us. He simply turned and began to walk. We followed.  
He lead us to a black lexus and opened the back door for us to get in. The ride was quiet for the most part. I wondered how much of Washington Ness remembered.  
We drove in the direction of Forks, but made an all familiar turn toward La Push. My stomach twisted and I felt nausious. For some reason I pictured us going to an office of some kind to talk to people we didn't know. Not back to the reservation. Ness grabbed my hand and began to rub slow circles on my skin. I leaned my head back and closed my eyes. I only focused on her touch until I knew I'd regained my composure.  
"Thank you." I whispered. She remembered La Push so I knew she must have remembered everything. She had only been out to the reservation once in her short time in Washington. My dad was the first person I thought of when we headed in the direction of La Push. I prayed he was ok and the Vulturi hadn't revolted against my people when I left. Every wolf in the pack had been sacfrificed for Ness and I would never regret that. The fact that the reservation had been left unprotected wasn't something anyone had thought of at the time. Now, it was the only thing running through my mind.  
We pulled up to my old house and things seemed untouched from the last time I'd been here. The lawn had been kept and the house re-painted.  
The driver stopped the car, got out, opened our door and once we were out and had our duffle bags in hand; he drove away.  
Once inside my childhood home I realized no one had lived here for quite some time and guilt for leaving my dad consumed me. Before I could react to my emotions I see Sue making her way around the corner and into the living room.  
I gave her a sympathetic smile and wrapped her in my arms in a gentle hug. When I pulled back I kissed her cheek.  
"Where is my dad, Sue?" I asked the question, but I was afraid of the answer.  
"I'm so sorry Jacob. He left us last year due to a heart attack. He talked about how brave you were to all of our people. You are a hero around here along with the others. Please come with me now, both of you." She motioned for Ness to step forward. "My sweet child. You have grown into such a beautiful young all knew our Jacob would care for you well."  
She ran her hand down Ness' cheek as she spoke.  
"Thank you, Mrs. Clearwater." I knew there were apologies and tears that Ness wanted to let escape. She kept them to herself for now. That was a wise decision. What we were about to find out was bigger than apologies. Especially when Ness already knew that the pack died honorably and no apologies would be accepted.  
Sue led us through the house and the back door. Once we were in the woods behind the house Sue made her way to a pile of brush and began to move branches and leaves. I should have helped her, but my body stood motionless while my mind raced with possibilities. Underneath the brush there was a storm door. Sue opened it and motioned for Ness and I to go in.  
We followed Sue's orders without a word. Once we were down a few steps she came in and shut the door behind. Some sort of mechanism locked once the door was back in place.  
The stairs were dark so we felt our way down.  
"When you come to a metal door, Jacob, open it and step inside. The girl and I will follow you. Once you are inside you will be informed of what is going on. Please be aware that this will be hard to experience. Both of you must remain calm and do not raise your voices please. Our safety may be on the line if this hide out is found."  
"What about the door on the surface?" Ness whispered.  
"An elder was waiting in the shadows to cover it, my child. We are safe."  
As expected we came to a metal door and I hesitantly slid it open. Light flowed into the tunnel and I stepped in with Ness and Sue close behind. This was a bunker of some kind. Who had been living here underground and for how long. It wasn't fancy, but seemed to serve its purpose well.  
Sue stepped forward.  
"Follow me." she ordered.  
She led us through a maze of halls and into what looked like a commercial kitchen. We walked passed oven and dishwashers. Metal tables and a refridgerator. As soon as we rounded the corner I felt my heart slam into my throat and my knees suddenly felt like fifity pound weights were attached to them.  
There ,in what looked to be an eating hall, was Chief Swan. And Collin and Brady! Before I could think I sprinted to the two of them and we all hit each other with powerful force. I hugged them and kissed their heads with tears rolling down my face. How had they survived? I see Charlie in a tearful reunion with Ness and I make my way to them. Charlie and I shared a moment of tears for my father. Ness never knew Collin and Brady. They had been the youngest and last to phase. They were told to guard the perimeter and must have run back to the reservation once things went sour. I couldn't have been more thankful for that right now.  
Ness made her way to them slowly and placed one hand on each of their faces and they smiled almost immediately. "We wouldn't have had it any other way." Collin told her and Brady nodded in agreement. She smiled and took them both into her arms and hugged them tightly.  
"I know this reunion is important, but we must't waste time filling you two in on the situation." Sue piped in.  
Ness and I nodded and sat down to listen.  
"Once you left with the child, Renesme, no one escaped the evilness except for our boys that are here. However, before they left they saw Bella being physically restrained by one of the men in a black cloak while the other vampires gathered the bodies of the departed, both wolves and vampires alike and loaded them into a private jet that landed in the meadow. Alice and Jasper showed up with another man while they were loading them. She pleaded with the vampires to take her with them. They agreed, but took the two men with them as well."  
"What does all of this mean?" Jacob asked through gritted teeth.  
"Well, for one; Bella, Jasper and Alice were alive when the cloaked ones took them."  
I heard Ness let out a breathe of relief at this statement.  
Sue continued. "Two; the bodies of the other vampires were not burned therefore many of them may have survived and three they took our wolves for some twisted reason and we don't know why."  
"What the hell do they want all of them for?" I asked in low growl.  
"That, my boy, we do not know. Our wolves have begun to dwindle because there seems to be no threat of vampires near. Collin and Brady are all we have left. The elders felt that those of us that may be linked to this situation would be safer in hiding. At least until you could be contacted."  
"We have to go." Ness said matter of factly. A glimpse of Bella sitting in the passenger seat of Alice's car flashed through my memory. She'd said almost those exact words to me before she left for Italy. Ness sounded so much like her mother then that it hurt.  
"I know." Was all I could manage.  
"Everyone needs to eat and get a good nights sleep. We can make our plans tomorrow. There are enough rooms for everyone. Jacob and Renesme, I will lead you to your rooms now for you to prepare for dinner.  
Sue must have been the cook because the food tasted just like what I grew up on. She always cooked for my dad and I after my sisters moved out.  
Sue showed Ness and I to our seperate rooms and I saw the panic in Ness' eyes when Sue pointed her to the room opposite of me.  
"Um, Sue is there enough room in my room to bring her cot? She has trouble sleeping alone."  
"Oh, yes dear. You both just get settled however you'd like and I will see you both in the morning."  
Relieved, I fixed up my little room to accomodate Ness and we both got settled in.  
"Jake?"  
"hmmm?" I answered drowsily.  
"Can I kiss you goodnight?"

Her voice was steady, but low.  
"Ness..."

but before I could answer she rolled herself onto my cot and lifted my face toward lips rested on mine and she let them linger there for only a few seconds before she pulled them away and rolled back onto her cot. My whole body was on fire and all she did was rest her lips against mine. She'd kissed me on the cheek so many times I couldn't even count and even on the lips a few times as a child. Witnessing our kiss in her dream had left me with a different feeling than I was used to.

"Goodnight, Jake." She whispered.

"Goodnight." was all I could manage.  
This girl was going to be the death of me. I just knew next morning was hell. Sleeping on a cot was torture on my big frame. I woke up stiff and could barely move. Ness was helping Sue and the boys with breakfast when I made it into the handed me a cup of coffee and told me we were having blueberry pancakes. A touch of home is just what I needed right now. Once breakfast had been served; we all sat in silence for a few minutes before our planning began.

"How are we going to attack the Vulturi? We have to have a strategy or we are on a suicide mission."  
Ness was right. "We need massive numbers, but we also have to consider that they are in Italy. Even if we can outnumber them we need to bring them to us somehow."  
"Or I go to them. They need me to badly to kill me."  
"Hell no!" I raised my voice a little too loudly and Sue gave me a murderous look.  
"Sorry, but Ness if you go there you won't come out. They will keep you there for their sick pleasure and do God knows what kind of experiments on you. We don't even know the extint of your abilities yet."  
"Then help me learn."  
"In your mind it's simple Ness, but that isn't reality."  
"I don't see why not. Teach me what I need to know. Teach me how to fight and bring out any gifts I may have that I'm not aware of."  
"I will agree to the training, but not to you going there. We will find a way to bring them here."  
"And what Jake? Put the people we love at risk again? The Vulturi could wipe out the rest of your tribe for all you know. Look what happened last time they came here. We. Will. Go. There."  
I knew then that I was fighting a loosing battle. She was definitely her mothers daughter.  
"We will discuss that issue later. Until then; you train."  
Sue chimed in at this point.  
"There is a room designated for that purpose that you all can use. I imagine the boys can be of some help in that department."  
"Yes, they would be a great help. Ness needs to be pushed to her limits and three rowdy wolves may just do it." I said with a mischevious grin.  
Ness laughed and that caused the others to join in.  
"Boys, she's a tough one, but I think we can take her." I added.  
The boys laughed and picked at Ness about my comments.  
"Hey, Ness. I'm going to check out the training room. We can start training in a few hours."  
She nodded and made her way to Charlie. I figured those few hours would be spent reminising with him. Even though the circumstances weren't ideal; Ness got to spend time with Charlie. Memories of my dad come crashing in on me and I barely made it to the training room before I broke down. Luckily this room would be empty for the next few hours. I needed the time to myself to accept the reality of my dad dying and the fact that I wasn't here.


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: I do update it's just sporadic and I apologize again for that. Reviews really do make a difference. If you pass through and read my story please review even give a detailed review if you would like to. I don't mind and welcome constructive criticism.

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or plot of twilight. I only use them for my entertainment.

Chapter 12  
My Dad's death had hit me so suddenly. Things had been so crazy when we first arrived it had barely registered. I took my time to grieve. Guilt flooded me because I hadn't been here when he needed me. I hadn't been here when my sisters needed me. Keeping Ness safe was my first priority, but knowing that didn't take away the guilt. Just as I'd composed myself Collin and Brady came into the training room.  
"Hey Jake!" They each said after givimg me a slight clap on the back.  
"Hey! You guys ready or what?" I asked playfully.  
"We're more than ready." They both said with determination.  
"Can I ask you both a question?" I had been debating on when a good time would be to bring it up.  
"Shoot man, what is it?"  
"Has anyone heard from my sisters?"  
"Rachel took care of your dad after he got sick, but being around the reservation was too much on her without Paul. Once he passed away she left. Rebecca came around to visit your dad too, but none of us have heard from her since either. Sorry man."  
"That's ok, thanks. How are Emily and Kim? Has Claire been affected by Quil being gone?" I couldn't bring myself to say that the wolves were dead given the new information. I had a new determination to find them now that I had some hope.  
"Claire still asks about Quil and she's pretty sad and knows something is wrong. She is only seven now, but she's very smart. Emily and Kim live together and are trying to build their life back. They say they feel that Sam and Embry are not dead and I trust their feelings. They go on food and clothing runs for us and keep the facility well stocked. We couldn't make it without them."  
Knowing the imprints were somewhat ok gave me some peace. My heart broke for them. They lost their imprint for me to have mine. A wolf has never imprinted on a vampire and there has to be a life changing reason for that. I know they understand, it just won't bring the others back.  
Ness made her way into the training room shortly after the others.  
Training with Ness, Brady and Collin brought back so many memories. The fact that Bella had learned what her gift was right before the Vulturi attack and not knowing how to use it properly had been our army's demise. Ness would do whatever she had to do to get our family back; I knew that and that's why I couldn't let her face this unprepared.  
"Ok, Ness, we will need to push you to some sort of limit to bring out a natural reaction. That is the best way to find your gift. Boys, run at her full force. Don't be scared she isn't a porcelean? doll."  
The two young wolves gave each other a look in between worry and excitement, then took off with speed and agility. I looked to Ness watching for her reaction. She stood firm with a hint of nervousness in her eyes. They got closer and closer to her and she just stood there as if waiting for her gift to show up without any help from her. The boys were running full force and the blow would definitely knock her down when they hit her.  
At the last second she collopsed to the ground and threw her hands, palms out up to her face. I expected a collision, but it never came. The two wolves were thrown in the air and struck the floor with a thick thud. My mouth fell open and Ness was looking at her hands like they were foreign to her. Her eyes met mine and we both smiled. If I didn't love her I'd be pissed because shit comes so easily for a Cullen.  
We know of two gifts so far. Everyone knows she can project memories and images just by touching skin, but now we know she has Bella's shield and she can project it out through her hands. It is undeniably strong. If she can throw two wolves into the air and dangle them like ragdolls just by throwing her hands up then I know we have a some major power to work with.  
"Ok, Ness let's try something. Hold your hands straight out in front of you and try to push the wolves backward while you're calm." I showed her with my hands and she mimicked my movements.  
"Nothing is happening, Jake."  
"Give it some time. Let's try something else."  
I walked over to Collin and Brady and whispered something to them while Ness gave me accusing glances from across the room.  
I mouthed for the guys to watch me as I made my way over to her. My hands snaked out in front of me and I wriggled my fingers in her direction.  
"Are you ticklish?" I asked in a mocking tone.  
"Jacob Black, you better not." She was steadily backing away as she warned me.  
I caught her in mid backward run and started to tickle her ribs. She gasped for breath and kicked and flailed her arms around.  
"Make me stop, Ness." I laughed.  
She couldn't respond between fits of laughter.  
Suddnely, she grabbed my wrist and twisted. I heard a snap and then my entire hand was on fire.  
"SHIT!"  
"Oh my God, Jake I'm so sorry! I only meant to make you stop, not hurt you. I swear."  
I just laughed. It hurt like hell but it would be healed within the hour.  
Ness giggled in response to my laughter.  
"I told you I didn't want to hurt you." she grinned.  
The boys couldn't wait to tell Charlie that Ness had broken my wrist when I tickled her.  
He gave me a toothy grin and clapped me on the back when I walked through the kitchen.  
"I'd say you've got your work cut out for you boy. How's that wrist doing?" He said with a snicker.  
"Ahh it's fine. Healed about an hour ago. She's a helluva girl, Charlie."  
"Just like her mother."  
"Yes, sir. Except this one can break MY bones." I joked back.  
That night, as Ness and I layed in our makeshift beds we contimplated our next move.  
"Jake" she spoke up."I'm going to Vulterra."  
"Out of the question! What do you plan to do once you've gotten there? Sneak in and out with all of the survivors. That is if they're even still alive."  
"No."  
"Then, what fight them alone?"  
"No, overthrow them." It wasn't a question it was said as a fact.  
"With what army?"  
"Jake, how many Native American tribes are there in this country? And how many of them have shifters or Spirit Warriors? The history of your people is magnificent and if anyone can win this fight they can. No matter which tribe they come from."  
She had a point. There was no way that the La Push Reservation was the only tribe that still believed and practiced in the old world mystics of our people.  
"How are we going to gather up all of these Spirit Warriors as you've called them and how do you know they even exist?"  
"I don't know that they exist. Native American culture is something I've studied since I was old enough to read and use a computer. It's fascinating and beautiful. There has to be a way for us to combine the strenghths of different tribes into one massive unity."  
Hearing her speak of my culture like this made something flutter inside me. I've always loved Ness. No one would doubt that, but this was a different feeling. A feeling that terrified me to my core.  
"We will look into your plan, but I still think we should bring them to us. We can't take an army accross the atlantic ocean."  
"No we can't, but we can use them as a distraction while you and I go to Vulterra and bring our family home."  
"That may work Ness, but what is in it for the warriors that fight? We can't just use them for what we need."  
"I know, I just want answers."  
"I know, me too and we will get them; trust me. If any of our family is alive we WILL find them."  
I ran the outside of my hand down her cheek.  
"Trust me Ness."  
"I always do." She leaned forward slowly after she spoke. Panic was the first emotion to hit me. Then, the dream I'd accidently seen quickly came into my mind. I couldn't hurt her if this was what she really wanted.  
Her sweet breath on my skin brought me back to the present. Her lips on my lips were fire. Her skin had always held a slight chill and mine the opposite. Fire and Ice. I knew I wasn't ready for this, but I was willing to try for her.  
Her lips parted and she gently ran her tongue across my top lip. My heart raced and I couldn't breathe. My breathe became heavy and my face even more on fire than it normally is. This wasn't how a kiss was supposed to feel. I couldn't breathe; literally. My chest felt like it was caving in.  
"Jake?"  
"Jake, Are you ok?"  
Her voice broke through to me.  
"Jake, sit on the edge of the bed and put your head between your knees. Now!"  
I coudln't respond. Only do as I was told.  
"If I had known that trying to kiss you would cause an anxiety attack I would have just waited." She said playfully.  
I was still in my compromised position and too ashamed and humiliated to respond. This transition wasn't going to be easy for me. Hell, I wasn't even sure I could ever see her in that way.  
Once I'd composed myself I apologized to the best of my ability.  
"I'm so sorry Ness. I tried. I don't want to hurt you. I just... I can't.. I'm"  
"It's ok. She broke into my rambling. I shouldn't have just sprung it on you like that. It won't happen again. I promise.  
I couldn't argue and tell her that I wanted her to keep making advances toward me. I didn't want to make her feel unwanted,but I couldn't change my mindset overnight.  
"I am willing to try again. I promise. Can we just put it off until we know more about the situation with the Vulturi?"  
"Sure, sure." she smiled and kissed my cheek.  
"I forgot to tell you earlier that The Elders are coming tomorrow to brief us on what they know about who or what that was we saw in Australia."  
"I'm a little scared to find out."  
"Me too."  
Our conversation ended there. It didn't take either of us long to fall into a fretful sleep.


End file.
